Loving Others

This article will also appear under the title Take The Easy Way Out.

Matthew 22:37: Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Loving God and others sometimes requires work, time, sacrifice, selflessness, tolerance and many other things. Loving others as we love ourselves means looking out for their best interests just as much as we look out for our own interests and needs. Loving others is not reflected by laziness or selfishness. As I aim this article at you I also aim at myself.

Philippians 4:19: But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Since God promises to supply all my need, I do not have to devote my life to meeting just my own needs. He will direct us to work but even that is to be unselfish. If we love others as we love ourselves we will work just as hard to meet the needs of others as we work to meet our own. That will actually be easier than just working to meet our own needs because we will then have the help of God. We will be co-labourers with Him. Working with God may be hard but in the long run it will be easier than working against Him.

1 Corinthians 3:9: For we are labourers together with God: ye are God*s husbandry, ye are God*s building.

Proverbs 13:15: Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard.

Matthew 11:29: Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

1 John 5:3: For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

Three of our greatest needs are to work with God, to be loved and to love. Take the easy way out. Obey the Lord. Disobedience is not smart.

Ephesians 4:28: Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

2 Thessalonians 3:10: For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

Ephesians 2:10: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

1 Thessalonians 4:12: That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.

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