This past week I taught on the subject of Simple Love. If something is simple it easily understood or done; presenting no difficulty. That certainly doesn’t describe life and relationships for most of us yet the greatest commandment speaks of loving God and loving others. How do we make this a simple process? First of all like anything else in life we have to believe it has value or we will never do it. We have to make a conscious decision to show love. But what if I really don’t like the other person? What if I don’t like their politics? What if they have done something to hurt or disappoint me? The greatest commandment wasn’t conditional based on circumstances and if we want to show that we love God we do this by obeying Him. One of our problems in carrying this out is we let our emotions prevent us from carrying through.
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?
James 4:1 ESV
We have to constantly battle against our own fleshly desires. This means we have to control our desire to say whatever may pop into our head.
If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.
James 1:26 ESV
When we fail to control our thoughts and our speech it harms our testimony. In one breath we are praising God and in the next we are cursing those made in His image.
…but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
James 3:8-10 ESV
What we say and do has an impact on the Kingdom of God. We need to carefully evaluate if the words we speak are creating a positive or negative impact. The first step and only step that really matters for any Christian is to realize that everyone is created in the image of God so everyone has worth and is deserving of our love. That is what simple love boils down to.
Pastor Scott