Love is a powerful thing. Love determines where you go and who you follow. Love determines whether you stay or go. For me, it was because of a lack of love that I left a church once. It was also because of love that I stayed at another church. It was a lack of love from the church and a love from the world that caused me to stay in the world as long as I did.
But eventually, I had to recognize God was the one who loved me in spite of. He was the one who was with me when no one else was there. He was the one who warned me when I was in sinned when the church folks shunned me. He was the one who carried me when I couldn’t carry myself. He is the one who deserves my love, my honesty, my trust, and my whole being.
When I left the church I found there were a lot of people who had been hurt by church folks. Everywhere I went to party I would end up either talking directly to someone who was hurt or over hearing someone talk about how the church didn’t care about them. It broke my heart.
I know everyone in churches is not nasty acting, but as the bible says, it only takes a little leaven to spoil the whole. There are too many people who have left the church because of what other Christians have done to them.
It’s time that we begin to act like we belong to Yeshua the Messiah. We do this by showing love. The love we must show is defined in 1 Corinthians 13. Yeshua said that everyone will know that we are his disciples by the love that we display with one another. It’s not the love that we show when we help someone we don’t know. It’s the love we show to one another, the kindness, the gentleness, and the helpfulness.
I heard this song many years ago in a movie about the end times. I love it and I think it sums up how Christians should treat one another. Read the lyrics and see if you agree too. I’ve also included a video of the song. It’s not the version I know, but it is the same song so I hope you enjoy it.
They’ll Know We Are Christians
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
And we’ll guard each one’s dignity and save each one’s pride
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love
By our love, by our love
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand
And together we’ll spread the news that God is in our land
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love
By our love, by our love
And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
They will know we are Christians by our love
Love is patient, love is kind
Never boasts, not full of pride
Always hopes, always trusts
The evidence of Christ in us
Prayer Time
Our Heavenly Father, who is in heaven,
Help us to show love one to another like you have taught us and commanded us. For only in our love will the world see a difference in us and desire to know you.
In Yeshua the Messiah’s name, Amen.
Scripture Reference
“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:35 KJV)
“Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.” (1 Corinthians 5:6-7 KJV)