James 2:8
Yes indeed, it is good when you truly
obey our Lord’s command, “You must love and help your neighbors just as
much as you love and take care of yourself.”
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
The boys were playing with
some new toys they chose as rewards for good behavior. Timothy had
quickly passed over a bag of plastic spiders, ants and beetles because
the kids really do not like bugs. Instead, he selected a plastic
chameleon. So Nathan readily chose the bugs! Then things got
interesting, as Timothy immediately had “buyer’s remorse” and wanted to
play with the bugs. The more he wanted to play with them, the more
Nathan did NOT want to share! So we had to have a little “lesson” in
sharing and how to think as much (or more) of the other guy as you care
for yourself! There were a few tears, but in the end, the brothers
figured out how to play together and get along…and love won!
Forty-one
years ago today, Greg and I promised to love each other “till death do
us part.” We promised a lot of things that we probably didn’t fully
grasp at ages 17 and 20…certainly not like we understand them today.
I’m pretty sure that we didn’t fully realize that the love it would take
to sustain more than four decades of marriage would surpass our young
definitions of this word. We couldn’t possibly envision the patience
our love would require as we built a business together…the strength we
would need to share in order to lift each other through illnesses and
injuries…the hope and faith that would be required as we consoled each
other in times of grief and loss. We readily signed on to be the
biggest cheerleader for each other…but I don’t think we had a clue that
there would be days that we might have to cheer even when we really
didn’t feel like doing so.
To say that a happy marriage does
not require hard work would be a lie. But I can tell you one thing for
sure…it’s a whole lot easier when God is at the center. When each party
makes a concerted effort to love God with his/her whole heart…and then
to love one’s spouse with as much tender care as God gives to us…things
fall into place with amazing precision. “Bumps in the road” aren’t as
bumpy…there is nothing that cannot be prayed over and worked through.
The art of “give and take” becomes second nature…and we both find
ourselves putting the needs and desires of the other ahead of our own.
These
same principles apply to any relationship. You have to think as much
of the other guy as you do yourself, or there will be trouble and
conflict. You have to consider his/her feelings at every turn. I’m
talking about much more than leaving the last piece of pie or deciding
who gets to pick the restaurant or movie. It’s more than letting
someone have the last word - or sharing your “toys” and possessions.
God
wants us to be so steeped our love for Him AND our love for each other
that it becomes the rhythm of our lives. He wants us to be so
comfortable in sharing and living unselfishly that we discover what it
truly means to be His disciple. He wants us to understand how Jesus
loves us…and to emulate this in our daily living. I am grateful and
blessed to be loved by God…and to be able to share His love with
others…especially my Greg. And I thank Him for teaching me to love
others without judgment and conditions. I am a work in progress, but I
am certainly making the effort to do this!
Whoever God places in
your path, my prayer is that you would love each of them with the love
of Christ. You may not always get to share their “bugs and spiders,” but
you will impart something far more valuable - unconditional love and
acceptance. And God will use your efforts to do amazing things! Are you
ready to see for yourself?
©2015 Debbie Robus
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