Henry was 73 years old when he moved into the rest home. Since the death of his wife 2 years earlier, Henry had been extremely lonely. He needed some company, someone to talk to.
After unpacking his belongings, Henry walked into the activity room, where many of the other residents had gathered. Everyone in the room was either talking, reading, playing cards, or watching television. Suddenly Henry felt nervous about trying to make new friends at his age. He wasn’t sure he had made the right decision.
As he stood in the doorway surveying the room, Henry was startled by a gentle tap on the shoulder. He turned to find a small woman staring at him. Even though she must have been 85 years old, she had a kind face and was attractive. She said nothing but continued to stare at Henry. Finally, Henry said “Good day, madam. My name is Henry.” With a sparkle in her eye, the elderly woman said, “Henry, you look just like my 4th husband.” “I do?” Henry asked. “Tell me, how many husbands have you had? With a smile on her face, the woman replied…..”Three.”
Ahhhhhh, Love at first sight!
I have written a few hundred of these devotions, all would fall under the topic of LOVE. God’s unconditional LOVE for us…and then our call to LOVE one another.
Matthew 22:37-40…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.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
We LOVE God because He first LOVED us. We then respond by LOVING others.
Sounds simple! Right? Well, not really.
One of the verses that we read this weekend in the sanctuary services seems to be a good place to start. The section is labeled “LOVE in action.”
Romans 12:9-12 (NIV)… Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Can you imagine how your life would change if you lived by these words?
Can you imagine what the world would look like if we all lived by these words? I like to look up other translations of a given verse as well.
Romans 12:9-12 (msg)… Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.
I suggest that you take a few minutes to re-read these verses…one sentence at a time…slowly. Read each translation 3 times. What jumps out at you? What areas do you struggle with? Take time to ask God to help you to live these verses to His Glory.
HUMOR FOR YOUR DAY:
Once there was a guy named Bill who wanted a horse. On Craigslist, Bill saw a Christian horse, so he went to check it out. When Bill got to the ranch, the horse’s owner said “It’s easy to ride him. Just say ‘praise the Lord’ to make him go, and ‘amen’ to make him stop.” Bill got on the horse and said, “praise the Lord.” The horse started to walk. “Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, praise the Lord” and the horse is running. Now Bill sees the cliff and says: “AMEN.” The horse stops and Bill says: “Whew! Praise the lord!”