There are many things in life that I care about. I cherish my family and would do anything for their well being. I care about my friends and seek to serve them with Christian love. I care about my church and those whom God has placed around me to serve with. The list could go on and on as we sift through all the things that He has given us, from people all the way down to things. Each person and thing carries a different weight all its own. Today, I want to look at how much we care about the most important thing we have: our soul.
In today’s society, it has become acceptable to put yourself first, even in Christian circles. We have grown to believe that we are entitled to rest and relaxation, that we deserve certain amenities because we have worked so hard, or been through so much. Do we need physical rest? Absolutely. After man sinned the body was no longer perfect, nothing was perfect as before. Do we have much as a result of hard work? Do we enjoy many comforts? The answer is “yes,” but it is our perspective on these blessings that cause many problems. We need to understand that we don’t deserve anything but Hell. Everything we have and everything that we are is a gift from God. A God who cared so much about His creation that He made it possible for us to gain and enjoy what we do not deserve. He gave us an example of how we are to live for Him. We are to live a life of sacrifice and service.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
How much do you care about others? Paul speaks about His care for the believers in Thessalonica and reminds them of how he treated them. He compares his love for them to that of a woman nursing her baby. He goes a step further to make his point by telling them he was willing to give his own life for them. This was an extraordinary love that could only come from God. It is the kind of love that Jesus has for us. This kind of love for others is not a natural feeling. I know I would lay down my life for my children without hesitation. But to have this kind of love for the souls of others is another story.
I Thessalonians 2:7-8 “But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherishes her children: So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls because ye were dear unto us.”
How much does God want us to care for others? His desire is for us to care enough that we would be willing to do whatever it takes to win them to Him. At this moment, my thoughts go back to a group of missionary men who gave their lives to carry the gospel to the Auca Indians in the Amazonian area of Ecuador. Jim Elliot was the one we are most familiar with, but there were four other men who were speared to death because they loved God first and others second. Their desire cost them their lives, but it was the beginning of the salvation of tribes of people in Ecuador.
How do we develop this kind of love for others? We must first love God with all our hearts, soul, and mind. To have this kind of love for God we must get to know Him. As we understand who He is, the creator of everything, the one who has control over everything, and the one who loves me as an individual enough to die for me, my love increases. This kind of love breeds the proper respect and fear that we are to have for God. A love that doesn’t want to hurt Him, a respect that doesn’t want to do anything that would bring reproach on Him or His people, and a love that has the proper fear of Him.
Matthew 22:37 “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”
How do we live out this kind of care for others? The same way that Jesus did. He cared for those who were lost. He took the word of salvation to them. He prayed for those who were believers in John 17:9. He prayed for those who would become believers in John 17:20, and He prayed for those who knew nothing about who He was in Luke 23:34. This is how we are to pray for others. We are to serve them to show them our love. This is a much-needed action in our world. The lack of service to others is not much different coming from believers as it is from unbelievers. Multitudes in our world serve tirelessly in humanitarian efforts, giving of their time and resources to help others. Their efforts are commendable, but they will not change the destiny of an eternal soul. We, as Christians, have the answer but dole out spiritual help in small portions. We’d rather give a few dollars to help someone than to invest our lives into theirs. True Christian love serves often, lovingly, and thinks only of what will benefit the one they serve, not what it cost them or who will notice. This is not a natural action for us. It comes only by loving God more and yielding our will to His will.
We need to seek out ways to love others the way God loves us. We do not love because they deserve love, or because we want to feel good about ourselves, but because He first loved us. There will always be those we love more than others, but that does not change the fact that we are to love everyone. In John 13:35 we are taught that the love Christians exhibit to one another will be a testimony to the world that we are His! This caring for others will not happen the way God intended unless we are intentional about it. Let’s get busy seeking to love the way Jesus loves.
