Loving your neighbor isn’t an option. It is a command. When one of the Pharisees asked Jesus what the greatest commandment in the law was, Jesus said to love the Lord your God with all your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself.
Friends, this is what our Lord Jesus left us with.
Just take two minutes scrolling on Facebook or looking at the news, and it won’t take you long to recognize all of the hate in the world. I have seen just as many Christians arguing on social media as I have nonbelievers.
If you ask me, it’s because we don’t realize the love that has been extended to us. When we were His enemies, Christ died for us. Do you engage with the Facebook or dinner table debates that lead to fighting and division? Then I hate to break it to you, but you are falling right into the schemes of Satan. Jesus was tortured, stripped of His clothes, His beard plucked out, all of His bones exposed for us; He was shamed and crucified for us while we were considered His enemies.
What if He decided He wasn’t going to do that because it wasn’t “fair”? The punishment for our sins would still be on us.
Tune in to this episode of Awaken the Wonder on the Charisma Podcast Network to hear miraculous stories of how God has used His enemies for instruments of glory. I plead with you today to love your neighbor. A.W. Tozer says it beautifully: “The load, or weight, or burden of my neighbor’s glory should be laid daily on my back, a load so heavy that only humility can carry it.”
What if you were more excited for your co-worker getting the promotion than if it was you? What if you prayed daily for your friend’s or sibling’s next encounter with the Lord over your own? Choosing love will change your life and everyone around you. Jesus died for the person you don’t like. He loves them deeply, just as much as He loves you. You are not better than the person who stole your glory, freedom, idea or job.
In the face of so much anger and division across the world, let us rise as the body of Christ in love. Jesus deserves to be rightly represented to the world. For too long, nonbelievers have had so many misconceptions about who Jesus is. What if the world said followers of Jesus are a people who love radically? What if the love we displayed to our enemies was so pure and selfless people ran to the gospel because they had never experienced such a love?
I think that’s what Jesus deserves, don’t you? {eoa}
Evangelist Caleb Wampler is the founder and CEO of Kingdom Encounters International. He has seen hundreds of thousands of people come to Jesus in countries that are hostile to the gospel, witnessed incredible miracles and regularly experiences God’s wonder. For more information on Evangelist Caleb Wampler’s ministry visit kingdomencounters.us.
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