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Consider!

 

Thomas Jefferson once wrote, “A candle loses nothing when it lights another candle.” Sharing. Mentorship. Encouragement. Caring. Giving. Supporting. Like a candle lighting another candle, these words can be used to describe the Christian who cultivates and enriches the lives of another and empowers their local church.

This is why 1 Corinthians 13:7-8 becomes so powerful for us, as it states, “[love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. love never fails.” The phrase “all things,” can mean “all-encompassing” to emphasize that love covers “everything” and does not discriminate. Love is never removed, withheld, or adjusted to fit our emotions or how we feel at the time.

Love is always active. Love will always involve someone else because love isn’t independent. love is not something we keep to ourselves. Love is given away freely and generously. Love has been and always will be about expressing it towards others and within the church body.

This is why 1 Corinthians 13:8, concludes by saying, “love never fails.” The word used here is translated “does not fall down,” “does not become invalid” or “does not suffer ruin.” In other words: love is permanent, and it doesn’t fall apart or collapse.  Love, loves completely, no matter what.

Loving others, at this level, is what testifies to the world of God’s love for them.  1 John 4:7, 11 “…let us love one another, because love is of God….if God so loved us, we also must love one another.”

By no means is this a meager, stingy, and reserved effort on anyone’s part. It’s not something we can feel justified in “turning off” if we just don’t feel like it. We are empowered with a great measure of accountability to make sure we all continually “live out” this love at all times.

In other words, it is our responsibility to do this.  Hebrews 10:24, says to “let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” The word “consider” is an interesting word.  It is written in the present-tense to signify an ongoing, unending process to “keep on” with spurring each other on.  

That means, we don’t stop or give up this process of looking out for one another nor do we quit the process of staying aware of recognizing the gifts, abilities and talents of others. When we “consider” each other, we are saying we accept our responsibility to acknowledge, engage and encourage each other. We also accept that it is our mutual duty to look after one another.

We can’t afford to delay or disengage and use excuses as if shyness or discomfort is our reason for not saying or doing anything to really love others. We will never be able to justify ignoring others or not connecting in some way.

We must surrender to our obligation to always show genuine concern for one another and with that concern, become diligent with being deliberate of other’s needs, concerns, abilities, gifts and usefulness. Bottom line: we will always be held responsible for each other. Let us, in these days of contention, hate and evil, be agents of God’s love.

Romans 12:3, “…Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.” Romans 13:8, “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.” Let us consider how we can spur one another on towards love and good deeds.

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