Love others (1)

I've been thinking recently about what it might look like if we were to really love others. I'm not sure I'm even close to seeing this as God sees it and the view from the bottom of the mountain looks hazy, but here's what it might mean for us:

Jesus tells us to love our neighbours as we love ourselves. He really means that! In the West we really love ourselves (although it may be at a superficial level!!) - we make sure we eat. We make sure we have clean water. We make sure we wear the 'right' clothes (one's that look good; make us fit in; present an image; have the right brand; avoid brands; etc.). We have enough technology to kill R2D2 stone dead with confusion. We have great holidays. We're rarely alone (although, did you know there are lonely people in every crowd - so, who's in your crowd?).

What if we decided to do that for someone else? What if we sacrificed what we need to provide for someone else's needs? What if we gave all our disposable income to a charity that would supply people with clean water for that month? What if we didn't buy a new CD each month and supported an African child's education instead? (look at www.compassionuk.org) Sound's good, doesn't it?! Yet the reality is, we face these choices every day and don't make the right one - we keep feeding ourselves the luxuries that will one day stifle us.

Loving our neighbour as we love ourselves is not an easy lifestyle to choose, but the benefits for others could potentially be MASSIVE. Let's encourage one another to make loving choices about loving others, and in the process share the life that Jesus died to give us all.