Okay, so yesterday was a super great day at church. The music was great, the worship was awesome and the Word gave you pause to think. It really felt that Jesus was there with you and all your troubles and problems seemed so small in comparison. You were reminded just how much he loves you and it overwhelmed you.
Now it's Monday.
So how is what happened yesterday going to affect today? Here's a verse for you:
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. (James 1:22-24)
I ask you again, how is yesterday going to affect today? What is the use of attending Sunday worship, listening to the man of God teach from God's Word if we are not going to allow the Spirit to change us? The only way Sunday will change us is if we actually do what we were taught.
You have one major responsibility today aside from loving God and that is to love your neighbour. Jesus was asked who our neighbour is and his reply should wake us up. Jesus told the parable of the good Samaritan. A man was robbed, beaten and left to die on the road. Two men came by who should have been men of compassion but that they didn't want to get involved and rushed by. Then the sworn enemy of the man came along and brought him to a hotel where he bandaged his wounds and paid for the expenses. So Jesus then turned the table and asked which of these three was a good neighbour. When the replay was "The one who had mercy on him", Jesus replied, "Go and do likewise". (Luke 10:25-37)
This is our life!
You should be facing this day wondering what opportunities you will have to show kindness and compassion to others. You should be looking forward to the good deeds God will place in your hands to do. As you leave your home you should be constantly looking, even longing for the chance to show the love of Jesus to others. It is how we live. The apostle John put it in the simplest form for our understanding:
If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. (1 John 4:20)
Perhaps we need it worded a little bit differently to understand it better:
If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? (1 John 3:17)
This is at the very core of who we are in Jesus. If we don't have love then we are nothing and we have gained nothing, according to the apostle Paul. We cannot spend time in worship, prayer and in the Word of God and then walk away and hate, tear people down, say mean things, do things against people, hurt them with intention. That does not make any sense except to demonstrate that we do not know God and Jesus is not in us. We cannot love God and hate our brother if we know our Father's heart and are possessed by the Holy Spirit:
And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. (1 John 4:21)
So if yesterday was truly a great day in the Spirit there should be a definite difference in you today. Take a good look in the mirror, God's Word, and then go, do what it says. Make the decision that you are going to love people today, only not with our limited love but instead with the incredible love of the Lord. Don't expect anything back in return, just give.
If you need a starting place or you are looking for new ideas check out my friend's web page at "Spreading Joy Corporation", which is overflowing with ideas of how to show love and kindness to your "neighbours". May the Lord shine upon you today as you bring his light to this dark world.
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