Devotional 2-14-14

What if?
"Our attitude towards others reflects our relationship with God."  1 John 4:20 (NRS)
 

When I was a little girl, my mother’s mantra was always, “Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing, worry about what you are doing.” The implication was that that that would give me more than enough to do. In John 21:22 (NRS) when Peter asks about John, Jesus tells him, ”If I want him to stay alive until I return, what is it to you? You must follow me.” We aren’t supposed to compare our lives to others. We are to use the talents that we have been given to live the best life that we possibly can. We are to follow Him.

 

Jesus taught us to forgive others and not to judge them. Most of all he taught us to love. It doesn’t seem very hard when you first think about it. The devil (literally in this case) is in the details. Forgiving can be very hard. Sometimes it is an on going process that we struggle with for years. And we aren’t just to forgive, we are supposed to ‘turn the other cheek’ and pray for them. It seems to be human nature to judge others. It makes us feel better about ourselves. But Jesus (and my mother) said that we were not to compare ourselves to others. We are not to judge. Why do people behave the way they do? Only God knows, and that’s the point! Loving is Jesus’s greatest command. We are to love God--above all else. We are to love our neighbors--as we love ourselves. We are to love our enemies--and pray for them. Oh those pesky details!

 

What if we actually managed to live a life where love, forgiveness, and compassion are more important than judging and revenge? How would we be different? How would the world be different? What if everyone lived this way?

 

Margaret WIlliams