House Rules
“Love one another as I have loved you.”
John 13:34 (NIV)
February is designated as American Heart Health month. Between healthy hearts and Valentine’s Day advertising, we will be seeing a lot of hearts next month.
God also has a lot to say about our hearts. The Apostle John, once a Son of Thunder, eventually became known as the Apostle of Love. Two verses in John’s Gospel have me currently thinking a lot about love, mainly what it is and what it looks like.
“He loved them to the end.” John 13:1
“Love one another as I have loved you.” John 13:34
Taken in context, these words were spoken by Jesus in the Upper Room on the night that He washed his twelve best friends’ feet and then was betrayed, denied, and abandoned by all of them. It was also the night before Jesus went to the cross to die for the world. With his words and actions, Jesus sets the standard, not just for them, but also for us, on how we are to love one another.
But what does that kind of “love one another” practically look like and how do we do it on a daily basis?
Fortunately, God didn’t leave us on our own to figure it out. The New Testament mutuality commands provide the house rules for the Body of Christ. There are at least 24 "one another" verses scattered throughout the New Testament. They include:
Welcome, greet, and accept one another
Serve, forgive and comfort one another
Encourage, teach, and admonish one other
Pray for and submit to one another
But God's #1 House Rule, repeated over and over throughout the New Testament, is "love one another."
Author Kevin DeYoung writes, “Loving people can require extraordinary effort, but it doesn’t require extraordinary gifting. Talk to people. Get to know them. Be a good listener. God has given you wisdom. He’s given you his Spirit. Don’t be afraid.”
The Apostle Paul would agree with De Young’s counsel. Paul had never been to the Church at Rome, yet in his closing remarks to them (Romans 16), Paul lists 26 people personally by NAME! Paul’s greetings included people from all walks of life: men and women; Jews and Gentiles; co-workers and friends, but he didn’t just say, “Hello!” Read Romans 16 carefully and you will find that Paul also accepted, affirmed, encouraged, honored, and recognized those who had risked their lives, opened their homes, worked hard, and shared their lives and love with Paul. With his words, Paul was not just closing a letter; he was loving people and building the Body of Christ.
Paul’s example encourages us to do the same. Who do you know that needs a word of encouragement, affirmation, affection, recognition, or gratitude this week? Why not make a phone call, write a note, or cross a driveway and let someone know that you love him and God does too!
Let’s love one another as Christ has loved us!