The Greatest Commandment | Love

A couple of weeks ago, I was with a group of believers who were ministering to one another, worshiping God, and praying. 

I felt particularly burdened by somebody who I thought needed some encouragement. Yet I didn’t feel like it was my job to talk to them—I knew somebody else needed to. So, I began praying quietly and pacing back and forth. 

The next thing I knew, I saw someone walking up to this very person, speaking to them and praying over them. I was so touched, I began crying. Then, a lady came over to me and started praying for me. She was so kind and loving. 

When she finished, I looked up and saw people doing the same thing all around the room. Praying for one another, sharing words of encouragement, relaying messages they felt were given to them by God. I couldn’t hear what anybody else was saying, but as the box of tissues traveled from one side of the room to another, I knew that it was good. People were being impacted and edified. 

Here’s the shocking factor, guys: a lot of these people didn’t even know each other. Additionally, there were people from so many different backgrounds with so many different theological views. 

These weren’t best friends who went to the same church and agreed on everything. They were strangers who couldn’t have been more different from each other. Yet there was a reason we could all worship together, pray for one another, and watch God use us in each other’s lives.  

We were unified by Jesus. 

All of a sudden, John 13:35 came alive to me: “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

I think that as Christians, we oftentimes get caught up in the things that aren’t important. When we see another follower of Jesus, rather than seeing a brother or sister, we see someone with wrong theology or weird ideas. We hear a word come out of their mouth that immediately makes us stereotype them. We see their outward appearance and the way they dress, and inwardly judge them. We think of how much longer than them we’ve been saved, and start to feel like we’re in some way better. 

There is so much division in the church, even though Jesus prayed that we would be one (John 17:11). Why have we gotten to that point? What do we think about Paul’s words in Philippians 2:1-4? 

“Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” 

What ever happened to the message of same mind, same love, unity in spirit, and intent on one purpose? 

Too many of us have forgotten the simplicity of loving God & loving others. 

We are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). Why can’t we start by shining our light in the church, by loving our brothers and sisters? 

It doesn’t matter if we see some things differently. If we dress differently, have different perspectives on end times, baptism, tongues, healing, or headcovering. 

What matters is that we have been united by Jesus! And He said that the greatest commandment of them all is to love (Matthew 22:36-40). 

It starts with us, my sisters. We love one another, and that love spills out into this broken, dark world.