SPREADING LOVE THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON

Christmas will be here in a couple of weeks. I can’t think of Christmas without thinking of love. For God so LOVED the world that He gave His only begotten SON. Christmas is when Christians all over the world celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior. It all started with LOVE, and it all ended with LOVE. Jesus LOVED us so much that He paid the ultimate price and died on the cross. In the NIV version, the word love is mentioned 551, so it is safe to assume that it was an important theme of the Bible…..

I was skimming over some Bible verses that mentioned love, and this one stood out to me.

Colossians 3:12-17

¹² Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; ¹³ bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. ¹⁴ But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. ¹⁵ And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. ¹⁷ And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

I love the Bible and how it gives us instructions for our everyday life. In these few verses, the Bible tells us that as His children, here is the way we are supposed to act. We are supposed to be kind, merciful, and be humble, and meek. We are supposed to be forgiving to others as the Lord forgave us. And then to tie it all together with a nice bow, we are supposed to do everything in LOVE.

When I look back over this past year, I don’t see LOVE. I see hatred and judgment instead of love and forgiveness. Instead of welcoming others with open arms, we shut the door and throw away the key. If someone doesn’t have the same opinion, then we unfollow or unfriend them. If someone’s lifestyle isn’t what we think it should be, we judge them and condemn them.

When I read about Jesus’s life, He never turned His back on someone who had sinned. He did not judge them, and instead, He offered them LOVE and living water. Jesus was associated with sinners, He reached out to those that others turned their backs on. A murderer, a tax collector, and a woman of ill repute were all examples of how Jesus made a difference in the lives of someone who was shunned by others.

Here are a few verses that we might want to consider when we find ourselves judging someone else’s actions.

Proverbs 10:12

¹² Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins.

Matthew 5:43-48

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. ⁴⁶ For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? ⁴⁸ Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Ephesians 4:32

³² And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Jesus calls on us to love one another, not to judge one another. Jesus lived His life loving on people who had made bad choices, and the very people we would shun. So, this Christmas season – give the gift of LOVE to all, not just those who we deem deserving.

To God Goes The Glory!

Have A Blessed Day!