some thoughts
1 Pet 1:22 “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart . . .”
Last fall my roommate showed me that verse and since then I’ve been thinking about how one loves the brethren fervently.
In the negative sense of the command, it reminds me that I shouldn’t let myself be irritated by people—ever, end of story.
Though bearing with people might not always be natural, I think the positive sense of the command is still incomparably harder. “Self-sacrificial giving of oneself” is a glib phrase that comes to mind, but giving isn’t just about energy or resources. Loving the brethren means caring, listening, encouraging and building up even when it’s “out of your comfort zone” to use another trite phrase.
Last fall my roommate showed me that verse and since then I’ve been thinking about how one loves the brethren fervently.
In the negative sense of the command, it reminds me that I shouldn’t let myself be irritated by people—ever, end of story.
Though bearing with people might not always be natural, I think the positive sense of the command is still incomparably harder. “Self-sacrificial giving of oneself” is a glib phrase that comes to mind, but giving isn’t just about energy or resources. Loving the brethren means caring, listening, encouraging and building up even when it’s “out of your comfort zone” to use another trite phrase.
posted by Anne @ 8:05 PM
2 Comments:
At 8:13 PM,
Anne said…
And yes guys I did publish the post on this blog as well as the other because of your request, but that doesn't mean you're the most irritating, hardest to love people I know...at least not necessarily ;)
At 8:40 AM,
Anonymous said…
"At least not necessarily." Oh boy, I feel better about myself already ;)
Your post reminds me of John 13:35. And of what C.S. Lewis once said about there being no ordinary people--"it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit--immortal horrors or everlasting splendors." Good thoughts.
~T.G.J.E.
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