In a society that is as materialistic as ours, it can be easy to get swept up in the idea that we can define ourselves by the things that we possess.  That can be our guide to determining whether or not we are “successful.”  And success can be defined however you choose to define it(e.g. bank account, house, car, age, job, children, etc.).  Most people tend to quantify their success based on the things(possessions) they have.  We then project our standards of success on others.

Judging Others

When was the last time you were driving somewhere and saw someone on the sidewalk or walking along the road who was dressed “shabbily,” however you would define that, and pitied that person?  It can be easy to do, especially when that person does not rise to your level(whatever that may be).

If someone was visiting from a foreign country(especially a less-fortunate country), would you be inclined to get some better clothes for him, so he could fit in better, or not stand out so much due to his lesser clothing?  Would you be concerned that his lesser appearance would somehow reflect negatively on you?  Or instead, would you see him?  Not the clothes he is wearing . . . not his cleanliness or his personal hygiene . . . not his age or the color of his skin . . . not his expression, but really see him.  It can be very easy to judge(i.e. make determinations or assumptions about a person) someone without getting to know him, without getting to know the individual, the person.  The good news is that we don’t have to get to know that person before we choose to love that person.

People – Made in the Image of God

Going all the way back to the beginning, people, all people, were created in the image(and likeness) of God(Gen. 1:26).  And even though God selected a group of people to be His chosen people(Deut. 7:6), all people were still His people; they were supposed to be worshipping Him(Isa. 13-21).  When Jesus told His apostles to make more disciples, He told them to do that to ALL nations(i.e. preach the gospel to all people - Matt. 28:19).  Why?  Because God loves every person and wants every person to be saved(II Pet. 3:9).  God loves everyone because it is part of who He is(I John 4:8).  Does God love our: clothes, house, car, job, money, appearance, etc.?  No.  God loves us . . . people.  He loves each of us(individually), and He loves all of us, regardless of what we have or what we look like.  And since we are supposed to be like Him(I Pet. 1:16), that means that we are supposed to love each person(individually) and all people, regardless of what they have or what they look like.

Real World Application

Understanding that God loves everyone, and since we are supposed to be like Him, we, too, should love everyone, can make our lives so much easier.  How?

Work

Have you ever worked with someone who wasn’t very nice?  It’s really easy to dislike or even hate them.  Of course, we are not supposed to hate anyone, so we wouldn’t go so far as to say we hate them, but do we love them?  I realize they are not very loveable, but God loves them.  And we’re supposed to be like God, so that means we are supposed to love them, too.  Jesus said if we only love people who love us, we are just like tax collectors(Matt. 5:44-48, esp. v. 46); that was supposed to be insulting.  As God’s people, we need to be better than that.   We need to love those who are difficult to love.

Family

I can skip this because everybody loves everyone else in their family, right?  Not!  A lot of families can have divisions over a variety of topics.  But none of that matters.  Or at least, those divisions should not matter.  We are supposed to love ALL of our family members, not just the ones we get along with or have things in common with.  That means we invite family members we don’t necessarily enjoy being around to family events.  Why?  Because we love them.  Not because they are loveable, but because God loves them, so we should to.

Strangers

This is where it will get difficult for a variety of reasons, only a few of which I will cover today.  Loving someone is more than just a warm, fuzzy feeling inside you about that other person.  Love is a verb, an action word.  And if you do not have any action behind that warm, fuzzy feeling, your love means nothing!  It is also important to note that each of us has limited time and limited resources.  Can any one of us help everybody . . . no.  But that does not mean we should through our hands up in the air in futility.   We help who we can, when we can and how we can.  That is all we can do. 

That being said, we also need to use our time and resources wisely.  Every resource I give to one person is a resource I cannot give to another person.  Jesus said we need to be shrewd(or wise) as well as innocent, in our dealings with others(Matt. 10:16).  But we need to be careful not to use this idea so much that is paralyzes us from doing anything for anyone.

Friends

They are our friends, so of course we love them . . . right?  It’s easy to “say” we love our friends, but do we “do” it?  Are we loving toward them?  Do we offer to do what we can to help them in their time(s) of need?  Are we available for them when they are struggling, or are we just “fair weather” friends?  Do we let them see God’s light shining in us?  That might be one of the most important and loving things you can do for your friends who are not Christians.

Conclusion

There is WAY more to each of us than just the physical things we possess.  We are so much more than that, and so is every other person you will experience during the course of your life.  Let’s remember not to judge ourselves or others by what we have or don’t have.  Let’s remember to love other people, everyone, just like God does.  We are supposed to be His people.  He is love, so we need to be sure that love is a part of our character as well, and not just when it’s easy.  Go out there and love one another(John 13:34; I John 3:11).

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