How well am I loving others? 

Do you think about that often? Recently, I read Galatians Chapter 5, and in verse 6, Paul says that the only thing that counts is faith expressed through love.

Faith expressed through love- How am I doing with that? I think this world needs more love, don't you?

When asked what the most important commandment was, Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this:‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30-31).

Notice in the verse above that Jesus doesn't tell us to just love those who look like us, talk like us, believe what we do, go to our church, have the same social status, or have similar backgrounds or cultures. He simply says "your neighbor".

The definition of a neighbor is "a person living near or next to you. A person that is next to another". Essentially, a person around us, in our midst.
 
We can spread love by talking about it, yes, but the best way to spread love is in action. To demonstrate our love for God is to actually put that love into motion. The action of loving His people. The action of loving one another. The action of loving our neighbor. Even the ones that seem unlovable. As James 1:22 says, we should be "doers of the Word". 

Love in action can be as simple as giving a smile to everyone you see, agreeing to disagree with a family member, or welcoming someone sitting alone in the corner of a room. It can also be as difficult as forgiving someone who has hurt us, committing time and patience to help another, or speaking truth (in love) when it would be easier not to say anything. Paul lays it out simply, clearly, and beautifully in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8:

“Love is patient.
Love is Kind.
Love does not envy.
Love does not boast.
Love is not arrogant.
Love is not rude.
Love does not insist on it's own way.
Love is not irritable or resentful.
Love does not rejoice at wrong-doing.
Love rejoices in truth.
Love believes, bears, hopes, and endures all things.”

I challenge you today. And tomorrow. And the next day and the next...
Smile at a stranger.
Be kind.
Go out of your way to say "hi" or speak to someone that you have seen before but never spoken to.
Introduce yourself to those who are sitting alone.
Work on forgiving someone who has hurt you.
Speak words that are not laced with anger or unkindness.
Encourage another.
Help someone who may need a meal, or a driveway shoveled, or who just needs to talk.
Be a part of a conversation that starts change rather than one that builds more walls.
Have coffee with old friends. Listen.
Stretch your comfort zone to love your neighbors, especially the ones who are different than you.
Love on those God has placed in front of you.

Our neighbors are all around us. Let's love them well.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35).

Blessings,
Elizabeth