“May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.  May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones” (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13).

Over the last few weeks, I heard a lot of so-called solutions to many of the issues we face today and most are very complicated, but the kind of life described by Paul in the verses above relate the essence of what Jesus said in response to which commandment is the greatest?

Jesus replied, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’ (Matthew 22:37-38).

In other words, Love God. Love others.

We love God in how we relate to his character. I remember a sermon by David Wilkerson years ago that made the point that a righteous man is so because of his love for Christ. The righteous man conducts himself in a way to be pleasing to God. He does not expect that his conduct somehow earns him a better position. The righteous man lives a life that reflects his love.

When our hearts are turned to the Lord we’ll see a difference in how we see others as well.

As Paul prayed earnest for the Thessalonian church, he prayed that “the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all…”

In John 15 Jesus said, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends.
John 15:12-13

Let’s start the week considering how our hearts can be softened as we love God and love others.