Iron Rose Sister Ministries

When I read Romans 12:9-21, I sigh and long for a world in which this text is lived out. These practical, specific instructions of how to live love involve a conscious commitment to put others before ourselves.

Today, I invite you into my own prayer, based on this text.

⁹ Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.
Heavenly Father, may I be so filled with your love that my life is an outpouring of that love. Help me to hate what you hate and long for your goodness—not whatever I think might be good.

¹⁰ Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
My sisterly affection sometimes does not extend beyond those I am comfortable loving. Help me to celebrate and honor the beauty that You see in others.

¹¹ Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.
The world is turned a bit upside down right now and the ways in which I have enjoyed fervently serving in the past have been stripped away. May the zealous, fervent fire of Your Spirit continue to burn in me, leading me to serve You and serve others in different, but awesome ways. No act of service is too small, and it is not a competition. Help me remember that.

¹² Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
Hope. What a word! Hope is transformative. Hope is uplifting. Hope keeps us going when the trials and tribulations seem never-ending. Help me to be a beacon of hope that points others to You, the ultimate source of hope. May I remember that you offer Light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks for the reminder that when I am constant in prayer, I continue to see hope.

¹³ Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
Hospitality, Lord? How do I show hospitality during a pandemic? Your Son embodied hospitality though He never had a home in which to invite others. He went where the people were and met their needs. Help me to see others’ needs with Your eyes and seek out ways to continue to show hospitality.

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.
Believe it or not, not everyone likes me. Not everyone agrees with my opinion. But is that the extent of the persecution I am feeling right now, Lord? It’s humbling to realize that there are those that face true, brutal persecution, even within their own families. May you pour out such blessings on those individuals that they are led to repentance from their persecution.

¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
And when there is repentance, may I rejoice instead of falling into the trap of the older brother of Your prodigal son (Luke 15). May I be willing to get uncomfortable and weep alongside those who are broken and weeping. And then, when you bring us back to a place of rejoicing, may the party be such that others long to join in the celebration!

¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.
Harmony comes through unity in You. It does not depend on me, nor my way of doing things. My view of the problem, and even my view of the solution, may not be the best. God, You’ve got this. Help me to listen to Your wisdom and to hear the voice and perspective of others.

¹⁷ Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.
Are my actions and intentions honorable?

¹⁸ If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
Am I doing what I can, when and how I can? Or am I only making a minimal effort?

¹⁹ Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
Thank You for being our Avenger, Defender, Redeemer, Comforter... Please help me trust You and Your timing.

²⁰ To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Who is my enemy, Lord? And how can I serve him?

²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Father God, You are good. May I cling to You and Your goodness. In You and through You, evil has already been overcome through the sacrifice of Your Son. It is in His name that I lift up these prayers in humble thanksgiving for sharing with us these words through the apostle Paul.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Written by Corina Diaz, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Argentina 

It has happened to all of us: we have high expectations about a relationship with something or someone, and then we realize that the reality is completely different than what we expected.

Even Jesus, when realizing that He would be betrayed, kept in His heart the desire to pass that cup. “After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, ‘Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me’”(John 13:21 NIV).

Jesus knew that it was not Judas himself who initiated the betrayal, but He recognized that sinful action stems from an external influence. “Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve”(Luke 22:3). “As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him”(John 13:27a). It is very important to recognize that Satan is actively working to bring about betrayal in our relationships.

Dealing with these situations on a personal level can cause us anguish, and will affect how we deal with the reality of what has happened.

Jesus' outline was simple—only three steps:

1. Accept the situation.
2. Pray to the Father to process the feelings.
3. Keep the heart open to give love.

It seems quite simple—and I assure you that it is not—but I also assure you that lowering expectations and accepting what comes, while cultivating a pure heart will make the path more bearable!

Wednesdays are often the day in the middle of the week in which we feel weak. Our energy and motivation are lacking. The weekend seems far away. The snooze button gets hit one more time.
When we were kids, Wednesdays were often the day of the week in which mom would make crepes for breakfast since it was an added motivation for us to get out of bed.

You may be going through a “Wednesday” in your life right now—a time in which your faith feels weak and your motivation is lacking.
As we look at faith, hope, and love this month, I would like to offer you hope through a verse from Hebrews 11. We look to those men and women as heroes of the faith. But there were often times when their faith was weak.

At those times, faith, even as small as a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20), can help that weakness be turned to strength.
And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. (Heb. 11:32-38, NIV)

At this time of year, I spend time thinking of my friends and brothers and sisters in Christ around the world. I appreciate their love and the good news I receive through Facebook and other mediums.
I wish we could all be together, but we will have to wait until heaven to join with God in the ultimate reunion.
In the meantime, I leave you and encourage you with this verse about the love and hope that inspire us, from 1 Thes. 1:3.
We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
And, just as 1 Corinthians 13:13 reminds us, these truly are the best and everlasting virtues: faith, hope, and love—the ones that remain and that are the embodiment of the abundant life, promised in John 10.
And so, to close out our blog theme for the year, we are going to focus on those three virtues: faith, hope, and love.
What do they mean to you? How do we see them played out in our everyday lives? How do they help us to bring a close to this calendar year and prepare for what God has in store for the next year?
Faith. Hope. Love.

On the eve of a New Year, we are offered the opportunity to begin anew. We have hope of a new life in Christ and faith in God’s abounding love. Yet, there may be thorns that are holding us back, areas in which we long to grow in our faith, hope, or love.
Over the next few days, I challenge you to get with a Christian friend, an Iron Rose Sister, and encourage one another through the Common Threads. How can you be iron sharpening iron for one another in the New Year? What daily prayer can you lift up for and with each other?
I want to bloom in God’s love so that it becomes an outpouring of love to others.
I pray that I can remove the thorn of unbelief, knowing that it hinders my personal growth and that of the ministry.
And I encourage you to serve as iron sharpening iron in my life, as my Iron Rose Sisters, reminding me of God’s faithfulness in the past, as He demonstrates His faithfulness in the future.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (Heb. 11:1)
Faith, as the author of Hebrews defines it, is based on things that we cannot see or tangibly know to be true. We believe them to be true and trust that we can place our hope in God and His truths found in Scripture.
However, what happens when our faith waivers—when we start to focus on what we can see and not on things eternal? Is it because we are not exercising our faith and keeping it in the forefront of our minds?
How many of you studied a 2nd language in school? How much do you remember of that language? There is an expression I have often quoted to those whom I have taught Spanish. “If you don’t use it, you lose it.” This is not only true of a 2nd language, but is also true of our faith.
If we do not exercise our faith and keep it at the forefront of our minds, we will lose it. We will lose faith in He who is faithful and we will become less certain of what we hope for and less sure of what we do not see.
So, how can you exercise your faith today? Make a quick list of three basic truths about God on which you can always rely.
Here’s my list:
God loves me.
God is infinitely wise.
God is in control, so I can always put my hope in Him.

During the process of transformation, we leave the ugliness and the pain, and move toward freedom. However, if things do not progress exactly as we had hoped, fear takes over and we long to go back to the familiar, no matter how bad things were before. We are not the only ones to fall into that fearful trap. The Israelites had it bad in Egypt. They were slaves and the conditions were getting worse. Deliverance came through Moses, but even before they got very far out of Egypt, their hope of deliverance faded and fear screamed louder than faith.
As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” (Exodus 14:10-12 NIV)
What are you enslaved to? What aspect of your life needs transformation and a dose of faith, not fear. I want to encourage you with Moses’ response in the next two verses:
Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:13, 14 NIV)

Written by Geissa da Paz, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Who’s never heard the phrase “doing crazy things for love”?

A certain man loved his career so much that he literally killed people to prove his knowledge and gifts. He dedicated years of his life to get where he got; his level of importance was very high. Everything he did was about attracting and gaining the attention of the One he admired the most.

After a while he finally got that attention, but not in the way he thought he would get it. Even though he had dedicated his life to learning and practicing the things he read and wrote about, when he was called by Him, his life changed completely.

Yes, I am talking about Saul. We know he was a well-informed man that had a lot of love for the things of God. But his decisions and actions were wrong. He definitely made an impression, but not in the way he thought he did.

The one that loves, acts with wisdom, not by doing crazy things.

Acts 9 tells us about his conversion. Let’s pay attention to Saul, now under his new name Paul. After receiving a call to redemption, he shows fruits of repentance. He realized his mistakes in such a way he couldn’t even eat anymore.

“What have I done?”, must have been one of the questions that crossed his mind.
But if he did so many awful things, why is he still one of the most visible apostles in the Bible?

The difference between us (in some situations) and Paul is that he felt a lot of passion for what he did, and he was aware of his actions. Everything he did was dedicated to pleasing God. In the wrong ways, sure. But what he felt was true. And when Jesus opened his eyes to the Truth, he was set free. He started bearing fruit perfect for the palate.

The motivation was the same: doing the will of God, no matter what that meant for him on this earth.

Maybe this is a silly question if you’re already part of a spiritual family, but, would you be willing to live a life completely given over to God? Because being part of the body is not the same as really living in unity with the body.

Wouldn’t it be easier to choose to live a life that pleases God before choosing selfish pleasures and having to renounce them to live like God wants us to? It may seem a little blurry, but that is the way the Father chose for us. Jesus promised us it would be hard. He made it all clear, but we still choose this life. So, why do we make things blurrier?

Let’s choose to live a life with Christ, before renouncing the things to which we probably have dedicated our lives for years and years. When you devote yourself to doing what pleases Him, you won’t have time to do anything you would regret.

Obedience is better than sacrifice. (1 Sam. 15:22-23).

By His grace we are saved, because while there is still life, there is opportunity to straighten our path. You can choose what kind of life you want to live, but you can’t run from the consequences of your actions.

“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.” (2 Co. 2:14)

How wonderful it would be if our consequences were love, peace, and goodness wherever we walk. Thanks be to God for His Spirit that guides us.

Paul lived in a time where miracles were visible. Today, we live by faith, or at least we should live by faith. What about you? Do you do crazy things for love or act with wisdom by the same motivation?

#IronRoseSister #HIStories #SaulPaul #wisdomandlove #guestwriter #blog

Written by Kim Solis, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Mexico and Oregon

It’s not always easy to work with other people. This applies to the workplace, the church, and even the family. We’re all different and have different views and opinions about... well, everything.

When you want to paint the room a certain color, something vibrant to invoke feelings of peace, tranquility or energy, they prefer white, so as not to distract.

When you always arrive early, rearing to go, ready to conquer the task at hand, she saunters in 5 minutes late, bagel in hand, sipping an overflowing cup of coffee.

When you aim to see the whole picture, he hones in on that one specific detail that he just won’t let rest.

I can go on and on.

The truth is, it is much easier to work alone. No one else to have to agree with. No one else to have to put up with.

But guess what? When it comes to your brothers and sisters in Christ, you simply do not have that luxury. Our calling to the Lord may come individually, but it is expected to be lived out collectively.

Colossians 3:15 says that we should “let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.”

We have been called. We have been chosen. We have been made part of the church which is the body of Christ. We are not, and cannot be separate from one another.

So then, how can we live the truth of this verse? How can we truly function as one body?

Paul, the writer of the letter to the church in Colossae, answers that question before it is even asked.
Take some time to read the entire chapter of Colossians 3... Let’s highlight a few important statements and get tips on how to handle those difficult and sticky situations when working together isn’t easy:

1. Remember, you have been raised with Christ and should set your mind on the things of above (v.1-2). Let us not get caught up in the details of the disagreement or conflict. Let us focus on the goal: unity, harmony, and ultimately – glory for God (not for me!).
2. Put to death the earthly things in which you once walked and lived (v. 5). We are all struggling to change. Old habits aren’t easy for us to break, nor are they easy for others. Let’s give everyone, ourselves included, a healthy dose of patience and mercy.
3. Put on the new self which is being renewed in knowledge... (v. 10). There is no excuse, however, that allows us to wallow in the old self. That self was put to death. That old argumentative, judging, critical, self-righteous, competitive, undisciplined self is in the grave. The new one is much easier to get along with. Be the person you want to work with, and perhaps your teammate will be encouraged to do the same.
4. We are all one in Christ (v. 11). Wow, this is just as important then as it is for today’s world! Where there are humans, there is prejudice and bias, so it seems. But in Christ, we are one. It doesn’t matter where we’re from, what color our skin is, or what culture we were raised in. Our different outlooks, opinions and personalities should never come between the oneness we have in Christ.
5. We are chosen, holy and beloved (v. 12). All of us. Even the one who frustrates you the most. Even the one whose personality clashes the most with yours. Even the one who is absolutely impossible to work with. They were chosen as well, and are just as holy and beloved.

What follows in this verse needs to be set aside and engraved upon our hearts (or perhaps stapled to our foreheads) so that we can have it present before we interact with any other person, especially one that is part of our intimate team:

1. Be compassionate.
2. Be kind.
3. Be humble.
4. Be meek.
5. Be patient.
6. Bear with one another (v. 13).
7. If you have a complaint, forgive.
8. Above all, LOVE (v. 14).

Love trumps all arguments, disagreements, differing opinions or personalities. If we love, we are not arrogant, demanding our way. If we love, we are not rude and don’t get irritated and resentful. If we love, we are not happy when something goes wrong for someone. We simply bear all, believe all, hope all and endure all (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

The relationship is ALWAYS more important than the decision.

If we can do all this, the stickiness that we want to avoid, becomes the glue that binds us together.

Embrace and appreciate differences. The world would be boring if we all thought like me.

Submit to others. Sometimes it is just best to go with the flow and let others make the call.

Love above and beyond all else. Even when you hate the idea, love the person.

Written by Hasandra Heyward, Director of the Women’s Online Growth GroupMinistry with which IRSM will partner on Tuesday evenings, starting March 22, to study Human AND Holy.

Last week a couple of my Christian sisters and I fasted and prayed together for a day. And for that day of deep intimacy with God and each other, it got me to thinking a lot about love. I believe the reason for this is because our time with God was really all about others. So, I began to explore in my mind how shallow our love for each other can be and how deeply penetrating the love of God is in our lives.

I must admit, I hear the words "I love you" a lot in my life. I hear it from my family, I hear it from friends, and I hear it from people who don't know me but whose hearts have been touched by His love that flows through me and its their sentiment towards me. Okay, I get it.

However, I have come to understand that what some call love, is not love at all; it's manipulation. I love you when you think like I do, speak like I do, look like I do; do what I want from you... I love you with deep levels of condition. And the moment you express your individuality or even your needs, those same people will siphon the very oxygen out of that "love" and deny you the very thing they know you need because it was never love at all. Hmmm…

Admittedly I don't want that kind of love. Proverbs tells us that fire tests the purity of silver and gold. Has your love been tested and if so, did it come out pure? I am a firm believer that love is what it does. "God so loved the world that He gave..."

What are you giving in your love relationships? Or, are you asking for everything and willing to give only in ways that are self-serving? I have come to learn that love has no loopholes... and as I delved deeper into exploring the ways we love within our imperfections compared to God's love and requirements, I was saddened by my own reality that I have never really experienced ALL.

Now right here you are probably thinking, "What is she talking about?" Ha! You know I am glad you asked right? I am talking about loving God with ALL your heart, and with ALL your soul and with ALL your mind. This lead me to ask myself what things do we need to give up to experience ALL... Is it pride? Is it anger? Maybe it's unforgiveness or perhaps jealousy? Is it a brokenness that has not been healed? Only you know what it is but I promise it is not worth robbing you of the opportunity to begin the journey of experiencing ALL. And I am convinced it's the key to that second and equally important command to love others as you love yourself. 

Years ago, I heard Maya Angelou say "I don't trust people who don't love themselves and tell me "I love you."

There is an African saying which is: Be careful when a naked person offers you a shirt." I understand this more now today than when I first heard it. People cannot give what they don't have.

So, going back to loving God with ALL He gives exactly what He requires which allows us to give what is required of us to others. But if you are not truly loving Him, may I ask, from where does your love emanate?

If we ever hope to be made perfect in love and not be tormented by the conditions of worldly love, we must love God, we must love self, and we must love others (1 John 4:18-20). Think about what you need to give up to experience ALL—the things going on in our world are not the greatest tragedies. In my opinion, the greatest tragedy is not understanding and accepting the deep, beautiful, unconditional love of God and living that out each day in our own hearts and with each other.

Written by Hasandra Heyward, Director of the Women’s Online Growth GroupMinistry with which IRSM will partner on Tuesday evenings, starting March 22, to study Human AND Holy.

This month's theme is Hope and Love. And to kick it off, please share your favorite verse about hope and/or love.

Eighteen times in the book of Job, the word hope is mentioned.
Job cries out for hope.
“What strength do I have, that I should still hope? What prospects, that I should be patient? (Job 6:11)
And in the words of his friends, Bildad, and Zophar,
Hope is for those who remember God.
Such is the destiny of all who forget God; so perishes the hope of the godless. (Job 8:13)
And there is security in hope.
You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety. (Job 11:18)
However, their words of hope are intermixed with accusations and their own interpretation of why Job is suffering.
In chapter 42, God chastises these friends, but does not mention Job’s young friend Elihu. This is likely because he spoke up in God’s defense.
It is Elihu’s mention of God’s love that begins to change Job’s perspectiveand the conversation turns toward hope (Job 37:13).
So, while we, like Job, long for hope in the midst of suffering, hope is unattainable without a focus on God’s loveand our trust that He is in control.
God’s love is the ultimate source of hope.

Love hopes (1 Cor. 13:7).
Faith, hope, and love are the three that remain (1 Cor. 13:13).
And in Romans 5, we see that love is the source of our hope and the reason our hope is not fruitless.
And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:2b-5)
So, if you are lacking in hope, overwhelmed by suffering, struggling to persevere, or lacking in character, I invite you to be bathed by God’s love.
May the Holy Spirit pour out so much of God’s love in your heart that it overflows abundantly in your life, filling you with hope.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Rom. 15:13)

God loved us by sending His Son (John 3:16).

And Jesus personified that love for us by humbling himself. The King of Kings, equal to God, took on the form of a baby—the most vulnerable one can be—all for the Father´s glory.

He submitted to His Father´s will and became obedient to death, even death on a cross—the most painful moment of His life, separated from His Father, having taken our sin upon His shoulders.

And Jesus loved us by taking the very nature of a servant—washing His disciples´ feet (John 13) and patiently teaching them all things—leaving us an example to follow as well (1 Peter 2:21).

Love does not do things for its own benefit. Jesus Christ gave us the perfect example of humble, selfless love.

May we celebrate that love this week!

The five-year-old waits for Christmas morning. The mom waits for a full night’s sleep. The grandpa waits to see his grandkids again.

The student waits for the semester to be over. The employee waits for a promotion. The hard-worker waits for a vacation. The stressed-out wife waits for this season of life to pass.

We are all waiting.

We wait in anticipation of what is to come. And most waiting is filled with hope and excited expectations. However, the patient that waits for news from the doctor may prefer to extend the waiting and not hear that her cancer is back. The young wife who has been trying for years to get pregnant is not looking forward to another month of waiting to see if their dreams will be realized.

We are all waiting.

In Scripture, we learn of a host of the faithful who waited and never got to see what was promised:
“And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect” (Heb. 11:39-40).

Today, I am reminded that waiting is about trusting the One who sees the big picture.
During this time of year, we are reminded of the anticipation, the waiting, the expectation of the coming Christ child. God’s timing was perfect.

We may not know the exact date that Jesus came, but we know that God was waiting and planning for the precise moment.

We may not know the exact date that our waiting season will end, but God’s timing is perfect. And even if things don’t turn out as we would like or expect (I mean, who sends the King of Kings to be born in a manger?!), we can trust that God is bigger than all circumstances and that any amount of waiting will be worth it.

Written by Kim Solis, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Mexico and Oregon.

If you were to take a poll on the streets of any city world-wide, asking the public what Christians are known for, what do you think they would say? Would we be known for pointing out the sin in the community around us? For taking a “holier-than-thou” attitude when talking about moral issues? Would we be known for adhering to beliefs of a particular political party or for fighting among ourselves about the “proper” interpretation of Scripture?

When my children were in grade school and middle school, the boys played on many soccer teams. At one game, while waiting for the excitement to begin, I was talking with another mom in the stands. The conversation swung around to what we do for a living and I explained to her that my husband and I are Christians and work for a Bible Institute helping to prepare people to be more active in their local congregations and even to go out as missionaries to plant churches in new cities. She was surprised and said, “Wow, I didn’t know you were Christians.”

The game started and I sat there with a lump in my throat and a weight on my chest. Why was she so surprised that we are Christians? What did she observe in our examples, especially mine, since she didn’t really know my husband very well, that never made her think that I held Christ and His teachings in high-esteem? I wrestled with this for months and finally got up the nerve to confront her feelings at another soccer game.

“How come you were surprised to hear that we are Christians?” I asked, fearing her response would shed light on un-Christlike attitudes or actions that I had inadvertently been showing to those around me. “Well,” she seemed to search for the right words, “it’s just that you are, well, you are both so... nice.” After talking a few more minutes I discovered that her previous experience with “Christians” had been very aggressive, rude and condescending. She had been told that her beliefs were not correct and that she was in sin. She had never been shown love and acceptance, only judgement and exclusion. I was relieved but also very concerned.

What did Jesus say to his disciples after assuming the role of servant and washing their feet in John chapter 13? “And by this everyone will know that you are my disciples...” By what? By your zeal for the truth? By your desire to confront the world of its sin? By your refusing to accept people who practice anything different from you? No. He says by loving one another. He just washed the feet of those who would betray him, deny him and leave him alone, nailed to a cross. He didn’t point His finger and condemn them, even though one of them would die at his own hand without repenting of his sin.

Love. Agape. We have heard the definition: a decision to love unconditionally, desiring and doing the best for someone regardless of whether they deserve it or not.

Does the world deserve our love? No. Do we deserve the love of God? No. That is what is so incredibly powerful in Jesus’ declaration. The world will know we are of Christ when we love one another because no one loves those who don’t think like them, who don’t act like them, who haven’t earned love in one way or another.

Jesus loved the woman about to be stoned because of her adultery. Jesus loved the tax collectors even though they were padding their pockets from the hard work of honest people. Jesus loved the men and women who spit upon him and screamed for his crucifixion. Jesus loved me and loved you even when we didn’t believe in Him and even when believing, we still fall into old habits and act as if we had never heard of His grace and mercy.

Come on, Christians. We must drop our shields of pride and “knowledge” and simply love one another with a pure and undiluted love that comes from Christ and not from our own hearts. Let’s leave the judging to Him and let us unite in love to show His love to those who need it most. Let’s love the homosexuals, the drunkards, the addicts, the liars, the lonely, and the desperate. We were one of them not too long ago. Pointing fingers and revealing sin will not attract more people to Christ. His merciful love and grace are what they need to hear... and to see.

Once someone falls in love with Christ, then they... then we... will be open to face our faults and correct our actions. We can’t do it on our own, anyway, we need Him to cleanse us.

To love God is to love others.
Mark 12:33
“And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

It doesn’t matter what you offer to God: your zeal, your faith, your purity and devotion. To love God and, therefore, to love your neighbor is worth even more.

Let the world know we are His disciples... by the love we show to one another.

Written by Kara Benson, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Little Rock, Arkansas

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”– Luke 10:27

What does it mean to love God?
A few elements come to mind...

Obedience. “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me” (John 14:21). If we love the Lord, we will obey him. 1 John 4:18 teaches us, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” Why? The second half of the verse answers, “because fear has to do with punishment.” If we are living in obedience to God, we have no reason to fear! We don’t have to be afraid of impending judgment for our repented sins or agonize over our future inevitable errors because God sent his Son to take our place. God’s perfect love provided a way to drive out our fear. We can rest assuredly and live confidently in the peace of a right relationship with the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. And if we truly love God, then we will want to obey him – not from fear of punishment, but from the heart.

Pursuit. “I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands” (Ps. 119:10). There is a difference between having warm feelings for someone and being madly in love. When we are in love with someone, we will stay up late to talk with them, think of them throughout the day, and set aside special time to spend with them. We delight in learning details about them, miss them when we are apart, and eagerly anticipate being reunited. Psalm 63:1 says, “Earnestly I seek you, my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Is this our attitude about spending time with our Lord?

Overflow. “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matt. 5:14). When you love someone deeply, others notice. Your love for that person is so great, it often overflows into everyday conversation. Grandmas love sharing photos of their grandkids. Engaged couples often begin sentences with, “My fiancée...” New parents can’t seem to stop talking about their kids. “For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). Do others see and hear evidence of our love for God?

What does it mean to love others?
The world asserts that to love someone means you must accept or approve of everything they believe or do. However, true love is seeking the best interest of someone else, as we see in Philippians 2. We love others by serving, comforting, encouraging, and challenging them to grow. If we see someone in sin without trying to help, how can we say we truly love them? James 5:19-20 states, “Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” Putting someone’s long-term good above our own temporary comfort is an act of love; their eternal soul is more important than forgoing an awkward conversation or keeping a superficial peace.

Love is patient, kind, and forgiving. This can be hard. This is where we can easily mess up. If we are not patient, kind, and forgiving in our communication, then our message is ruined. May the Lord give us wisdom to discern the right timing and the right words. Our heart must be right. We must be honest and willing to confess our own sins as well. Looking back, I am thankful for those who have loved me enough to show me what I needed to change.

Our love matters. Galatians 6:10 teaches, “do good to everyone, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” While we are called to be slaves to all (1 Cor. 9:19, Mk. 10:44), we have a special calling to love and serve our family in Christ. Hebrews 6:10 says, “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” I absolutely love this verse! Every time we help someone, every time we serve... God sees. God knows. God remembers. Sisters, it’s all worth it! Our love matters.

When we love God and love others, we are fulfilling the first and second greatest commandments. How are you showing a love for God and a love for others, especially His people, in your daily life?