Recently I came across a quote from an author that said, “a good goal for 2015 is to BRAG about OTHERS BEHIND their backs.” This is an interesting concept and one that I think would serve the life of a believer well. In a culture that is perpetually me-centered, to think that my goal for this year could be to speak highly and affectionately about other people, WHEN THEY ARE NOT AROUND, stirs my heart. Sure, it is pretty easy to speak highly of people when they are in your midst, perhaps because there is credit to be had. What would be the implications if this were just who you were?
In John 13, Jesus gives the command to love others in the manner in which He loved us. Perhaps this type of love is hard to grasp for us. Much of the love we feel is predicated on other people actions. It is conditional in nature often and can be called an outside-in love. The love that Jesus urges us to show one another is an inside-out love. It is a love that exudes from us, simply because that is who we are in Christ. We are a people who are called to love, without condition.
As we venture toward yet another year in the Lord, let us be a people of love. Not because it provides any benefit to us, but rather because it provides life to those around us. As you march forward, day by day and moment by moment, let the gift of God in you transform the world around you.