Loving as Little Children
While sitting on the porch overlooking the lake, I listened to the quiet voices of my grandchildren, and all is right with the world. Occasionally there is a flare up, but the disagreement is quickly resolved and they continue playing. I’ve seen neighborhood children resume playing while their parents continue arguing about who did what, etc. If only we would become like little children; loving, forgiving and trusting. Unfortunately, as we become sophisticated in our approach to life we often grow dogmatic insisting we are right. When being right becomes more important than relationships, strife strikes! The Bible tells us *“He who is of a greedy spirit stirs up strife, but he who puts his trust in the Lord shall be enriched and blessed.” Strife is a cancer that destroys relationships, causes wars, divorce and church splits. Where there is strife there is confusion and every evil work. Loving God and loving others even as we love ourselves is the royal law that displaces and uproots greed, selfishness and self-centeredness. **Loving God and loving others is the way we will win the world to Christ (John 17: 20-26). We are family. So, let’s work together and play together, preferring one another! Let’s be loving, trusting and forgiving. Let’s not be childish, but like little children; loving, forgiving and trusting. We are the children of God!
Prayer:
Father-God, I desire to put away childish behavior and walk in Your love which has been poured into my heart by the Holy Spirit. I am here to hide Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You. You have called me, and I choose to be humble and gentle…patient with others, making allowance for their faults because of this love. I choose to make every effort to keep myself united in the Spirit, binding myself together with peace. I pray that I will come to the unity in my faith measure up to the full and complete standard of Christ so that I will no longer be immature and I will not be influenced when others try to trick me with lies so clever they sound like truth. I choose to speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of the church, in the name of Jesus!
Scripture References: *Proverbs 28:25; **John 17:20-26; Romans 12:4-5; Romans 5:5; Psalm 119:11; Ephesians 4:1-6, 13-15