A few days ago I woke up speaking aloud. I was explaining to someone what following God’s way of love involves, like this:
Following God’s way of love means loving, and caring for, all people, all creatures, and all creation.
It means loving everyone we see, hear about, and come into contact with, however briefly – in person, by phone, online, in letters, whilst passing them in the street, or seeing them drive by, reading about them in newspapers, or watching them on TV.
It means genuinely expressing this love through everything we think, and say, and do.
It means responding to all that happens to us as wisely, truthfully, and lovingly as we can, no matter how hurt, offended, angry, or afraid we feel.
It means working to forgive those who have hurt us, loving them, and praying for them each day.
It means never judging or condemning others, and it especially means a total absence of prejudice, discrimination, scapegoating, or hatred of others just for being different from ourselves.
These qualities take years to learn, because they can only be developed through personal learning, inner change, and deep spiritual growth. This process depends on years of prayer, and of listening to God, as we struggle towards maturity, until we can always speak the truth in love – to ourselves, to God, and to others, as Jesus did.
His example of walking the way of love in both life and death helps us with every step along the path, for he asks us to face nothing he hasn’t already faced himself. Our goal, therefore, is to become more and more like him.
So here is today’s prayer:
Jesus,
May we learn from you,
Our Lord, in heaven above,
Until our daily way of life
Becomes God’s way of love.
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Bible quotations
Walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us (Ephesians 5:2; NIV).
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21; NIV).
Commit everything you do to the Lord (Psalm 37:5; NLT).
I want your will to be done, not mine (Luke 22:42; NLT).
We will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ Ephesians 4:15; NLT).
“My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed (John 20:28; NLT).
