Loving God, Loving People

[hldude33]

“Loving God, Loving People”
By Zach Wood
Matthew 22:37-39 NIV
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”


Last week, I was reading a YouVersion Bible App devotional by Danny Gokey and he made a statement that was simple, yet so profound. He shared, “So many times I think we overthink our calling and over complicate the Gospel, when really our purpose in this life comes down to two simple things; loving God and loving people.”

It was so powerful and spoke volumes to me! The more I thought about this statement, I considered how we so often do over complicate things every day of our lives when it comes to being a light for God. What if we put this concept into practice from the time we get up in the morning to the time we go to bed and focus on nothing else but this? What would our lives really look like if we simply focused on loving God and loving people? What if that became our sole mission every day?

This concept has challenged my thinking in the past week and I continue to consider how I simply need to put this into practice as I live my every day life. Loving God is actually pretty easy for me to do. Even though I often don’t understand Him, I love Him very much. However, loving certain people is difficult for me. It is easy for me to love people who are easy to love, but very hard at times to love people who are not nice and who have treated me badly.

Think about this passage and how important it was for Jesus to share it. We need to not only love God with all our heart, but we must also love others. We cannot say that we love God and then treat others like trash. It just doesn’t work that way. We absolutely must do our best every day to love others, regardless of how they treat us. And, that is hard!

What would our world look like if we made it our passion every day to love God and love others? We don’t need a seminary degree to do this. All we need is a willingness to love and respect not only our Father, but also others who we come into contact with. Let us not over complicate the calling God has given to each of us. We all have different abilities, gifts and talents for sure, however, we all have the ability to love God and love others. This is something we can all do, regardless of our education.

Loving God and loving others. It is not a hard concept to grasp, but it is a challenging concept to live out. Why don’t we make it our mission and passion to fully love God and love others as we live every day of our lives?

Who is with me?

 

[Butterfly]

I have been trying to consider if it is as simple as that, on the surface it is - choose to love people that I don't like, but then I get a bit stuck.... You see I then find myself asking another question, well what would that look like in action. In simple terms ' be nice to the people you don't like , as well as those you do ' - then it extends to ' what about my thoughts about the people I don't like ' - love would surely need to deal with those things as well........
However it is a very good mantra ( right word, wrong word ? ) to say, and remember - and it does instantly challenge - so yes, I am with you.
I would kind of hope all Christians would be as this is a basic that we should be trying to do anyway.
Can you tell I am an over thinker !!!!!!!!
@Pearl, @Nancy , @Bygrace , @farouk , @marks
Is it that simple?

 

[farouk]

I have been trying to consider if it is as simple as that, on the surface it is - choose to love people that I don't like, but then I get a bit stuck.... You see I then find myself asking another question, well what would that look like in action. In simple terms ' be nice to the people you don't like , as well as those you do ' - then it extends to ' what about my thoughts about the people I don't like ' - love would surely need to deal with those things as well........
However it is a very good mantra ( right word, wrong word ? ) to say, and remember - and it does instantly challenge - so yes, I am with you.
I would kind of hope all Christians would be as this is a basic that we should be trying to do anyway.
Can you tell I am an over thinker !!!!!!!!
@Pearl, @Nancy , @Bygrace , @farouk , @marks
Is it that simple?

I think of the angle of Ephesians 1 and 2. When we were unlovable, the Lord in His immense grace and love sought us out...

 

[Pearl]

“Loving God, Loving People”
By Zach Wood
Matthew 22:37-39 NIV
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”


Last week, I was reading a YouVersion Bible App devotional by Danny Gokey and he made a statement that was simple, yet so profound. He shared, “So many times I think we overthink our calling and over complicate the Gospel, when really our purpose in this life comes down to two simple things; loving God and loving people.”

It was so powerful and spoke volumes to me! The more I thought about this statement, I considered how we so often do over complicate things every day of our lives when it comes to being a light for God. What if we put this concept into practice from the time we get up in the morning to the time we go to bed and focus on nothing else but this? What would our lives really look like if we simply focused on loving God and loving people? What if that became our sole mission every day?

This concept has challenged my thinking in the past week and I continue to consider how I simply need to put this into practice as I live my every day life. Loving God is actually pretty easy for me to do. Even though I often don’t understand Him, I love Him very much. However, loving certain people is difficult for me. It is easy for me to love people who are easy to love, but very hard at times to love people who are not nice and who have treated me badly.

Think about this passage and how important it was for Jesus to share it. We need to not only love God with all our heart, but we must also love others. We cannot say that we love God and then treat others like trash. It just doesn’t work that way. We absolutely must do our best every day to love others, regardless of how they treat us. And, that is hard!

What would our world look like if we made it our passion every day to love God and love others? We don’t need a seminary degree to do this. All we need is a willingness to love and respect not only our Father, but also others who we come into contact with. Let us not over complicate the calling God has given to each of us. We all have different abilities, gifts and talents for sure, however, we all have the ability to love God and love others. This is something we can all do, regardless of our education.

Loving God and loving others. It is not a hard concept to grasp, but it is a challenging concept to live out. Why don’t we make it our mission and passion to fully love God and love others as we live every day of our lives?

Who is with me?

I am with you all the way on this. I think we all find it hard at times to love certain people but if we can say we 'care' about them instead of using the word 'love', which we usually associate with close family and friends, I think it helps to see what Jesus was saying to us. Excellent post.

 

[Pearl]

I have been trying to consider if it is as simple as that, on the surface it is - choose to love people that I don't like, but then I get a bit stuck.... You see I then find myself asking another question, well what would that look like in action. In simple terms ' be nice to the people you don't like , as well as those you do ' - then it extends to ' what about my thoughts about the people I don't like ' - love would surely need to deal with those things as well........
However it is a very good mantra ( right word, wrong word ? ) to say, and remember - and it does instantly challenge - so yes, I am with you.
I would kind of hope all Christians would be as this is a basic that we should be trying to do anyway.
Can you tell I am an over thinker !!!!!!!!
@Pearl, @Nancy , @Bygrace , @farouk , @marks
Is it that simple?

I think that we need to put 'love' into action even if we can't feel it. Like me with Rachel, I used to feel love for her but after what she's done that has gone but I still need to care about her and act towards her in a caring/loving way. I think too that forgiveness plays a part in how we behave towards people. Jesus tells us that we must forgive before God can forgive us.

 

[Nancy]

I have been trying to consider if it is as simple as that, on the surface it is - choose to love people that I don't like, but then I get a bit stuck.... You see I then find myself asking another question, well what would that look like in action. In simple terms ' be nice to the people you don't like , as well as those you do ' - then it extends to ' what about my thoughts about the people I don't like ' - love would surely need to deal with those things as well........
However it is a very good mantra ( right word, wrong word ? ) to say, and remember - and it does instantly challenge - so yes, I am with you.
I would kind of hope all Christians would be as this is a basic that we should be trying to do anyway.
Can you tell I am an over thinker !!!!!!!!
@Pearl, @Nancy , @Bygrace , @farouk , @marks
Is it that simple?

Haha Rita, yeah....you and me both are over-thinkers, lol. And, most of the stuff I overthink turn out to be simple as moms apple pie! It is hard to love the un-loveable. I just try to imagine God loving me and then ask Him to give me the grace to love that person, or persons that I am not so fond of.

“Loving God, Loving People”
By Zach Wood
Matthew 22:37-39 NIV
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”


Last week, I was reading a YouVersion Bible App devotional by Danny Gokey and he made a statement that was simple, yet so profound. He shared, “So many times I think we overthink our calling and over complicate the Gospel, when really our purpose in this life comes down to two simple things; loving God and loving people.”

It was so powerful and spoke volumes to me! The more I thought about this statement, I considered how we so often do over complicate things every day of our lives when it comes to being a light for God. What if we put this concept into practice from the time we get up in the morning to the time we go to bed and focus on nothing else but this? What would our lives really look like if we simply focused on loving God and loving people? What if that became our sole mission every day?

This concept has challenged my thinking in the past week and I continue to consider how I simply need to put this into practice as I live my every day life. Loving God is actually pretty easy for me to do. Even though I often don’t understand Him, I love Him very much. However, loving certain people is difficult for me. It is easy for me to love people who are easy to love, but very hard at times to love people who are not nice and who have treated me badly.

Think about this passage and how important it was for Jesus to share it. We need to not only love God with all our heart, but we must also love others. We cannot say that we love God and then treat others like trash. It just doesn’t work that way. We absolutely must do our best every day to love others, regardless of how they treat us. And, that is hard!

What would our world look like if we made it our passion every day to love God and love others? We don’t need a seminary degree to do this. All we need is a willingness to love and respect not only our Father, but also others who we come into contact with. Let us not over complicate the calling God has given to each of us. We all have different abilities, gifts and talents for sure, however, we all have the ability to love God and love others. This is something we can all do, regardless of our education.

Loving God and loving others. It is not a hard concept to grasp, but it is a challenging concept to live out. Why don’t we make it our mission and passion to fully love God and love others as we live every day of our lives?

Who is with me?

“Loving God, Loving People”
By Zach Wood
Matthew 22:37-39 NIV
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”


Last week, I was reading a YouVersion Bible App devotional by Danny Gokey and he made a statement that was simple, yet so profound. He shared, “So many times I think we overthink our calling and over complicate the Gospel, when really our purpose in this life comes down to two simple things; loving God and loving people.”

It was so powerful and spoke volumes to me! The more I thought about this statement, I considered how we so often do over complicate things every day of our lives when it comes to being a light for God. What if we put this concept into practice from the time we get up in the morning to the time we go to bed and focus on nothing else but this? What would our lives really look like if we simply focused on loving God and loving people? What if that became our sole mission every day?

This concept has challenged my thinking in the past week and I continue to consider how I simply need to put this into practice as I live my every day life. Loving God is actually pretty easy for me to do. Even though I often don’t understand Him, I love Him very much. However, loving certain people is difficult for me. It is easy for me to love people who are easy to love, but very hard at times to love people who are not nice and who have treated me badly.

Think about this passage and how important it was for Jesus to share it. We need to not only love God with all our heart, but we must also love others. We cannot say that we love God and then treat others like trash. It just doesn’t work that way. We absolutely must do our best every day to love others, regardless of how they treat us. And, that is hard!

What would our world look like if we made it our passion every day to love God and love others? We don’t need a seminary degree to do this. All we need is a willingness to love and respect not only our Father, but also others who we come into contact with. Let us not over complicate the calling God has given to each of us. We all have different abilities, gifts and talents for sure, however, we all have the ability to love God and love others. This is something we can all do, regardless of our education.

Loving God and loving others. It is not a hard concept to grasp, but it is a challenging concept to live out. Why don’t we make it our mission and passion to fully love God and love others as we live every day of our lives?

Who is with me?

I'm on board with you! Starting TODAY, I will love all those people, I will look them in the eyes and smile (kinda do that anyhow, lol) There is one old friend who calls me and drones on and on about nothing at all, I'm a very fidgety person and can't stand talking about nothing when I have so much to do! She never respects that I do not do phone small talk, would rather meet for lunch! I get very aggravated with her. She is not saved and continues to talk about all the stuff we used to do like, clubbing and just plain living a sinful life. I've told many times with as much kindness as I could muster that, I am not the same person she knew many years ago and I have zero interest in those things anymore but...she still brings up all that stuff! AHHHH! Have tried many times to get her to accompany me to Church and, she always has an excuse as to why she can't come...she is retired and does not have many friends-which, makes me feel guilty that I want her to stop calling me. She is my really "tough to love" person right now. But, we shall press on!

 

[Helen]

“Loving God, Loving People”
By Zach Wood
Matthew 22:37-39 NIV
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”


Last week, I was reading a YouVersion Bible App devotional by Danny Gokey and he made a statement that was simple, yet so profound. He shared, “So many times I think we overthink our calling and over complicate the Gospel, when really our purpose in this life comes down to two simple things; loving God and loving people.”

It was so powerful and spoke volumes to me! The more I thought about this statement, I considered how we so often do over complicate things every day of our lives when it comes to being a light for God. What if we put this concept into practice from the time we get up in the morning to the time we go to bed and focus on nothing else but this? What would our lives really look like if we simply focused on loving God and loving people? What if that became our sole mission every day?

This concept has challenged my thinking in the past week and I continue to consider how I simply need to put this into practice as I live my every day life. Loving God is actually pretty easy for me to do. Even though I often don’t understand Him, I love Him very much. However, loving certain people is difficult for me. It is easy for me to love people who are easy to love, but very hard at times to love people who are not nice and who have treated me badly.

Think about this passage and how important it was for Jesus to share it. We need to not only love God with all our heart, but we must also love others. We cannot say that we love God and then treat others like trash. It just doesn’t work that way. We absolutely must do our best every day to love others, regardless of how they treat us. And, that is hard!

What would our world look like if we made it our passion every day to love God and love others? We don’t need a seminary degree to do this. All we need is a willingness to love and respect not only our Father, but also others who we come into contact with. Let us not over complicate the calling God has given to each of us. We all have different abilities, gifts and talents for sure, however, we all have the ability to love God and love others. This is something we can all do, regardless of our education.

Loving God and loving others. It is not a hard concept to grasp, but it is a challenging concept to live out. Why don’t we make it our mission and passion to fully love God and love others as we live every day of our lives?

Who is with me?

Amen
Good a timely post.

IF ONLY...

I so agree, why has Christendom become so high minded, complicated and heady!! Jesus accused the Pharisees of 'adding weights' upon people who are already doing their best to 'enter in'. He said the pharisees didn't enter in themselves and tried to trip up others who were trying to enter in.

If loving God and loving our neighbour were not meant to be where our focus should be, He would not have made it one of the last things He said to His Followers.

Amen, let us try to walk in that...God, help us to walk in Your Love. ✟

 

[farouk]

I think that we need to put 'love' into action even if we can't feel it. Like me with Rachel, I used to feel love for her but after what she's done that has gone but I still need to care about her and act towards her in a caring/loving way. I think too that forgiveness plays a part in how we behave towards people. Jesus tells us that we must forgive before God can forgive us.

So is Rachel a relative?

 

[Pearl]

So is Rachel a relative?

She is my son's ex.

 

[farouk]

She is my son's ex.

Oh okay. I guess in some ways it makes a difference whether she was his gf or his wife, also...

It's good to be able to keep praying for people.

 

[Pearl]

Oh okay. I guess in some ways it makes a difference whether she was his gf or his wife, also...

It's good to be able to keep praying for people.

Yes please pray for her farouk as she really needs it.

 

[farouk]

Yes please pray for her farouk as she really needs it.

She was his gf?

 

[Pearl]

She was his gf?

Yes, and the mother of his child.

 

[farouk]

Yes, and the mother of his child.

Yes, they need prayer, indeed.

I guess the situation would have been different if she and your son had married.

 

[Pearl]

Yes, they need prayer, indeed.

I guess the situation would have been different if she and your son had married.

I don't think so farouk. In fact I'm glad they didn't as it would have made things more complicated.

 

[farouk]

I don't think so farouk. In fact I'm glad they didn't as it would have made things more complicated.

I guess this was my point; she never was his wife.

 

[Nancy]

Amen
Good a timely post.

IF ONLY...

I so agree, why has Christendom become so high minded, complicated and heady!! Jesus accused the Pharisees of 'adding weights' upon people who are already doing their best to 'enter in'. He said the pharisees didn't enter in themselves and tried to trip up others who were trying to enter in.

If loving God and loving our neighbour were not meant to be where our focus should be, He would not have made it one of the last things He said to His Followers.

Amen, let us try to walk in that...God, help us to walk in Your Love. ✟

"I so agree, why has Christendom become so high minded, complicated and heady!! "\
Doctrines of men and doctrines of demons...? I think we have way more on here that DO exhibit Agape love than those who do not...We are Soldiers of the Cross and, NOBODY can steal our joy if we let them...I am putting more and more people on ignore as they are a broken record and make the simplest of things so very complicated! ♥

 

[Helen]

I have been trying to consider if it is as simple as that, on the surface it is - choose to love people that I don't like, but then I get a bit stuck.... You see I then find myself asking another question, well what would that look like in action. In simple terms ' be nice to the people you don't like , as well as those you do ' - then it extends to ' what about my thoughts about the people I don't like ' - love would surely need to deal with those things as well........
However it is a very good mantra ( right word, wrong word ? ) to say, and remember - and it does instantly challenge - so yes, I am with you.
I would kind of hope all Christians would be as this is a basic that we should be trying to do anyway.
Can you tell I am an over thinker !!!!!!!!
@Pearl, @Nancy , @Bygrace , @farouk , @marks
Is it that simple?

Ha ha! Found it!!

The reason it didn't tag is because the above was Bygrace and not ByGrace But here I am , found it. Thank you.

A lovely posts @hldude33

I agree with Pat Rita.

Loving "by faith". We declare the love even when it must bypass our feelings.
We cannot walk the walk by 'feels like'...it brings us down every time!!

There was a man I despised. He has since died.
We were in community living and he was a overbearing brow-beater of the flock. We were on equal standing in the community , as they recognise female elders. So in every elders meeting he and I knocked heads every time about his "dominant rule keeping". But the thing was, one rule for the people and one rule for him and his family!! ( which caused much contention)

In the end Dave and I told those who had put us in place there, that our God and his god were not the same, and we wouldn't stay.


I spent hours and hours on my knees daily KNOWING I could not forgive him. I hated him for his treatment of others. But, with gritted teeth I would do what the bible says " Bless them who curse you" I blessed and blessed and blessed him and his family. Slowly I didn't have to sttuggle so hard.

..fast FWD three months and we were in an affiliated church service.
A guy came up to me and whispered, you wont believe who just walked in, and he told me. I kid you not, I was standing up at the time behind a chair, I gripped that chair so hard I am amazed it didn't crack!! I felt sick.

Finally I let go, turned around ..and went to the back looking for them.

All I can say is..GOD did it. I was WILLING, I knew unforgivness was wrong.
I knew it was 'us' who got poisoned when we didn't forgive, not the other person.

I smiled as I went up to them and hugged them.
6 weeks later my daughter and I went north to a three day teaching convention. Guess what. Does God have a sense of humour or what!! lol

These people had moved to this new location ( I didn't know that) and my daughter and I were billeted with them for three days!!
And, what is more, they REQUESTED us when they saw our names on the list of attendees!!

Between meeting we were in their place..I kid you not we laughed and laughed about old times. I told him he was the most negative, legalistic old tyrant I had ever met in my life. And how he had led me such a song and dance spiritually. And he doubled over laughing and smacking his knee.
It was the most wonderful freeing time.
None of this 'was me'. God did it.
All I did was get before God and try my best to do as He commanded. "love the unlovely"

If I had gone by feelings..I would have felt justified to despise him to the end of my days. He was doing his best with the light he had received..been raises strict Mennonite. And was not all the way out of the legalism... fighting his own fight I am sure , to get really free in the Lord...

Sorry...long post!

 

[Butterfly]

I find it way harder to 'love ' Christians sometimes, I make allowances for non believers I think, but I need to exercise forgiveness to a greater degree with fellow brothers and sisters -
Also, just a thought, I have walked away from many friendships with people due to stalemates with sorting things out, if people have hurt me in church and we have come together and sorted it through I find I do not want to share space with them afterwards - is that a defensive thing, unforgivenss, or wisdom because I know they will rub me up the wrong way.
Can you ' love ' someone , but not be in a close relationship with them by choice ?
Just pondering !!!!!!!!
Rita

 

[Nancy]

I find it way harder to 'love ' Christians sometimes, I make allowances for non believers I think, but I need to exercise forgiveness to a greater degree with fellow brothers and sisters -
Also, just a thought, I have walked away from many friendships with people due to stalemates with sorting things out, if people have hurt me in church and we have come together and sorted it through I find I do not want to share space with them afterwards - is that a defensive thing, unforgivenss, or wisdom because I know they will rub me up the wrong way.
Can you ' love ' someone , but not be in a close relationship with them by choice ?
Just pondering !!!!!!!!
Rita

I so hear you here Rita,
I too am struggling to forgive a "Christian" whom I invited into my home, she had the whole upstairs and I charged her VERY little to stay here. She has moved out, a few weeks ago. She stole several things from me and one being an air conditioner! It is not easy to pray for other Christians who lie, steal and cheat, I am with you Rita, it is much easier to love and forgive the unsaved as, our brothers and sisters should and do know better. I am forgiving her yet, I do not want her to be in my life anymore, not that we were close anyhow. I have forgiven her but, I do not want to make myself available to her in any way as she has her hand out all the time and thinks lying is okay . So, I do not think forgiveness means we have to be around these people. JMO ♥ Helen said it well in Post # 18 ♥