Loving Others

 I believe there are some basics in our walk with the Lord that we need to keep coming back to time and again. They are that important. Of course, prayer is foundational. The Word of God is essential for us to grow. Worship is our sacred duty to honor the Lord who died for us. Being holy is an everyday requirement, and so is love. Love is one basic we must never neglect.

Even in Leviticus and all of God's instructions for the sacrifices, we have an admonition about love. (Leviticus 19:18) The Israelites were commanded not to seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but to love their neighbor as they loved themselves. This was from the Lord. We read the same things in the New Testament, because these things are so important for all believers of every time period. Please, stop for a minute and take inventory of your life.

I know that most of us, as believers, would not go all out to take revenge on another person. We know better than that. However, do we seek revenge in a subtle way. Do we desire that something bad would happen to them? Or do we quit having anything to do with them as a form of revenge? Those actions are vengeful and wrong at any time. Also, we are sinning, if we are holding a grudge against someone, so that we don't speak to them, or we have bad feelings in our heart toward them. If we truly love them, we will not do these things.

Just stop to consider, "Do we want others to treat us in those ways?" If not, we are never to engage in those practices. We may feel justified because of something they did to someone else or to us, but we are never free to treat anyone like that. We are to do what we want others to do to us. We are to forgive, to be friends with them, and to do whatever we can to have fellowship with them in the love of Christ. If we don't, we are breaking the most basic command God has given us, so how can He bless us?

#NHBaptistdotorg

Tomorrow, I intend to read Leviticus 20-22.