ODJ: do I love?
Anyone who does not love does not know God (v.8).
READ: 1 John 4:7-12
In the 1940s, Fred Craddock began serving as a missionary to India. When World War II ended, Craddock’s church wired him funds for a steamer ticket to return home. Arriving in his port of departure on Christmas day, Craddock discovered a disturbing sight. A ship of German-Jewish refugees had been allowed to temporarily dock, and these exiles had been stuffed in small spaces with no human comforts. Craddock used his money to buy pastries for as many as he could. When he informed his church, they asked, “Don’t you know they don’t believe in Jesus?”
“Yes,” Craddock replied. “But I do.”
When we believe in Jesus, our world becomes radically reordered. For we are infused with the Spirit of the living Jesus, and our heart and eyes and hopes are (if we will allow them to be) freshly attuned to seeing our world the way God sees it.
If we’re curious to know whether or not our faith is growing . . . if we’re curious to know whether or not our actions are becoming more Jesus-like, if we’re curious to know if in fact we “know God,” we must answer this: Do we love? “Anyone who loves . . . knows God” (1 John 4:7). It’s rare these days to come upon an unequivocal answer, a black-and-white, right-or-wrong way forward. But in 1 John 4 we have an acid test. If you truly love—you know God. If you do not truly love—you do not know God. Period.
When a friend leaves me feeling lonely, when my father walks away from my family, when I encounter another’s need—in these moments, do I love? And this love isn’t simply an act of mustering up some inner reservoir of goodwill. To truly love is to give away what God has generously given to us. —Winn Collier
How does it change your understanding of love to know that God has already filled you with His love? How have you been responding to your opportunities to love others?
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Loading ...ODB: conflict resolution
October 15, 2009
READ: Philippians 4:1-9
I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. —Philippians 4:2
Today is observed in many countries as International Conflict Resolution Day. Its purpose is to encourage people to use mediation and arbitration rather than the legal system to settle their differences. Because we as followers of Christ are not immune to conflict, we need to learn how to resolve our disagreements in ways that honor the Lord.
It has been said that “church fights are the worst fights,” perhaps because they break out among people who profess to believe in unity and love. Many Christians have been so hurt by a fellow believer that they walk away from the church and never return.
Euodia and Syntyche are mentioned by name in the Bible and urged to resolve their differences: “Be of the same mind in the Lord” (Phil. 4:2). Instead of leaving them alone to settle their dispute, Paul appealed to a trusted fellow worker to “help these women who labored with me in the gospel” (v.3). In this same context, Paul urged the Philippians to bring their requests to God, noting that prayer brings the peace of God (v.7) and a sense of His abiding presence (v.9).
Fractured relationships in a Christian community are a community responsibility. In the midst of hurts and differences, we can encourage, listen, and pray. — David C. McCasland
Forgiveness is the glue that repairs broken relationships.
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