(January 13, 2021) “This is my commandment: Love one another as I love you.” -- John 15:12 This is the epitome of Pay it Forward; Jesus was ahead of His time!
You’d think He would say, “As I love you, so should you love Me.” But he doesn’t. He wants us to take the love he gives us and share it with the people around us.
Isn’t it odd, though, that He chose the strong word ‘commandment?’ Not ‘desire’ or ‘wish’ or ‘suggestion.’ Why? Because it must be done. No exceptions. The most important thing for us to do in our day is love. Love the people we like, and love the people who are difficult to like. This might involve acting loving without feeling loving. That’s OK. Maybe the feeling will come later; maybe not. ‘Just do it.’
It’s easy to love the people who love us; it’s God’s grace working in us when we love when it’s difficult to love (see Matthew 5:43-48). If we look outside ourselves, ask the Lord to fill us with His love and ask Him to show us how to share that love with the people around us, He will keep pouring His love into us until pretty soon all that love spills out onto other people. We can’t keep it for ourselves – we pay it forward.
“What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrow of men. That is what love looks like.” -- Augustine of Hippo
This article is a personal reflection by Gina Bedell © 2021. It and other reflections written by her invite the reader to reflect on a given topic and then seek deeper answers through prayer, additional spiritual reading, and/or consultation with clergy or other persons who may guide the reader to a deeper faith and understanding of God’s love and will for their life.
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