MORNING MANNA 2-8-23
A LESSON ON LOVE
“ Let love be without dissimulation.. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;” Rom.12:9-10
“Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” Rom.12:21
Over the years I’ve seen churches fracture, fail, and fold up. Unable to fellowship together the members unravel until there is nothing left but miserable memories. And the harm done is worse than words can tell, because the cause of Christ is harmed so greatly. The fact is, no church can last without love. The same is true of families. Lacking love our corrupt culture has collapsed and will continue to get worse and worse.
Therefore we must be prepared to combat the evils we face. We can’t always eliminate evil, but we can do our best to overcome it. We do that by using the weapon of good. It’s not enough to just quietly endure offenses as though they never happened. We are to take action by responding to the evil by doing good – expressing love. Remember, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35).
Trying to correct the problem without compassion is useless. Just telling someone to do better isn’t enough. In fact that alone can hurt more than it helps. Without an evidence of genuine love even the best counsel falls on deaf ears. A lecture can’t take the place of love. As has often been said, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care!” And woe is unto us if we disobey God by refusing to love the unlovely.
Someone said, “Love is the king of the affections and the queen of the virtues. It’s in a league of its own….the core of divine essence:’God is love’.” Let us then remember that without charity we are “nothing”(1 Cor.13:3). Jesus changed us by loving us and we love Him because He first loved us. God help us to do the same- then we have a chance of changing others! – HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
Humble, Tx.
