Time for Others
Jesus issued two great commandments—love God and love people (Matthew 22:37-39). However, the two directives are inseparable. You can’t love God and not people. You can’t love people and not God. If you don’t love people, then you don’t love God. And I’m convinced, if your love for people doesn’t stem from your love for God then it lacks.
So, I have a confession to make. I’ve done a poor job of loving people. Study. Read. Write. These disciplines involving my personal love for God have, in some sense, consumed my life. Someone may say, but that’s great. But he’s wrong if in doing these things I’ve neglected to make time for others. Remember, I can’t love God and not love people. And love gives time.
Jesus devoted his life to a passion for the Father, but he expressed his passion for the father in his dedication to people. You just can’t get around it. Now, I’m not negating the necessary time for study and prayer—far from it. But study and prayer should weave tightly into our dedication to loving people.
God’s nature demands my worship, but I offer meaningless worship if I don’t have a heart for people. Listen to what God told some claiming to love him with their worship, yet showed little concern for justice in human relationships:
I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! (Amos 5:21-24)
Okay, all of this stuff seems easy to say, and it is. But truly carving out time for people and devoting effort to their welfare doesn’t come naturally in the look-out-for-number-one, individualistic culture of the west. You and I will have to get real…and really messy. People have issues. Some people struggle with “dirty” sins. Some have battles we can’t imagine. But all have available the hope provided in the empty tomb. Now is the time to reenact for hurting people the love Jesus conveyed to the woman at the well.
Love God and love people. So simple. So complex. So balanced.
So, I have a confession to make. I’ve done a poor job of loving people. Study. Read. Write. These disciplines involving my personal love for God have, in some sense, consumed my life. Someone may say, but that’s great. But he’s wrong if in doing these things I’ve neglected to make time for others. Remember, I can’t love God and not love people. And love gives time.
Jesus devoted his life to a passion for the Father, but he expressed his passion for the father in his dedication to people. You just can’t get around it. Now, I’m not negating the necessary time for study and prayer—far from it. But study and prayer should weave tightly into our dedication to loving people.
God’s nature demands my worship, but I offer meaningless worship if I don’t have a heart for people. Listen to what God told some claiming to love him with their worship, yet showed little concern for justice in human relationships:
I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! (Amos 5:21-24)
Okay, all of this stuff seems easy to say, and it is. But truly carving out time for people and devoting effort to their welfare doesn’t come naturally in the look-out-for-number-one, individualistic culture of the west. You and I will have to get real…and really messy. People have issues. Some people struggle with “dirty” sins. Some have battles we can’t imagine. But all have available the hope provided in the empty tomb. Now is the time to reenact for hurting people the love Jesus conveyed to the woman at the well.
Love God and love people. So simple. So complex. So balanced.
posted by Josh Linton at
12:29 PM
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