Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. ~Romans 13:8 (NIV)
God tells us not to leave any obligation undone or unfulfilled except the “continuing debt of love”. Have you ever thought you had fulfilled your debt of love to someone? Have you ever thought you had given as much as you could give? Taken as much as you could take? Done as much as you could do? God says we have a continuing debt of love to one another if we want to walk in obedience to Him. Just as His love for us is unconditional, so He expects our love for others to be unconditional. Love is the supreme law of the bible. It’s the top law of the land in heaven and on the earth. In Matthew 22:37-40 when Jesus was asked which of God’s commandments was the greatest, or most important, His reply was “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.” (NIV) We show God how much we love Him by showing others how much we love them. Our forbearance with others is a direct reflection of the confidence we have in God’s forbearance with us. In other words, if we go around thinking God is mad at us or beating ourselves up about everything, we do wrong, then we are going to go around perpetuating that mindset and being mad at others and beating them up for everything they do wrong. That is exactly where the enemy wants us to live because it steals our joy, and it steals our witness to God’s love and forgiveness. If we are trusting in the fact that God loves and forgives us no matter what we do, we will be able to love and forgive others with ease!
God says to love others at every opportunity. Talk to someone who has recently lost a loved one and they will open your eyes to God’s truth. They will tell you don’t miss one opportunity to enjoy the presence and share your love with others no matter what they do or how they act. God tells us in Romans 12:18 “As far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” (NIV) Think about that problem you are currently having with someone…now as far as it has depended on you… have you promoted peace and ONLY PEACE? Remember with God, it’s about how just you are, not how much you can justify. God looks at our heart because that is where our motives originate. This life is brief, and God says fill it up to the brim with love. Though we may experience a temporary separation between heaven and earth when a loved one goes home to be with the Lord, we can use it as an “eye opener” that we need to enjoy every minute of the time God has given us with those we hold dear while we are here. If it seems like you continue to find yourself on the giving end, then thank God for helping you to be more like Him. Remember, what we do for others on behalf of God and by His grace is a privilege!
This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us. ~1 John 4:10-12 (NIV)
How do you plan to show God’s love to someone today?
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