LOVE WILL SAVE THE GALAXY
Kendra Intihar
Today's Scripture: “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35, ESV
Theme: Jesus loved his disciples and all people well; we will too when we follow Him wholeheartedly.
MESSY PEOPLE
Do you know why Jesus told us to love the family of believers? Because when we love one another, we’re showing the world what it looks like to be a part of God’s family. We’re agreeing with Jesus, saying, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven!” I have, personally, been one of the most irritating, self-centered, right-fighting members of God’s big family, and I’m sorry to say it, but you probably have been, too.
In this week’s movie, Guardians of the Galaxy, we saw an unlikely team who had to work really hard to show love to one another. They didn’t always get it right, but who could blame them? They were messy! We, believers, can be really hard to love, too. In fact, I often find that it’s easier to love people I perceive as an “enemy” (also a biblical mandate) because I can pass them off as misguided and in need of the Lord. They don’t have the same mission that I do. When my brothers and sisters in Christ are behaving in ways I disagree with, though… whew. They already have Jesus; shouldn’t they be acting right?
LOVE IS THE KEY
Jesus told us that we are to love one another, and then He gave us the added instruction that people would know we were His disciples by our love. In Guardians of the Galaxy, the unity of the team is what mattered – not that they all got along all the time or that they were all perfect. They knew they had to work together, for the good of the universe, despite their many differences. Brothers and sisters – we, too, are a team. We’re a team of imperfect human beings who don’t always agree or get along, but we are called to show love to one another, regardless, missionally focused on bringing the good news of the Kingdom of God. This is the key indicator to the rest of the world that we follow Christ: loving one another.
MISSIONAL FOCUS
Unfortunately, it sounds much easier than it actually is. Loving others requires ongoing death-to-self on our part. It requires putting others’ needs above our own. It requires honoring people above ourselves and interacting peacefully, patiently, kindly, and gently with one another when our instincts tell us to do the polar opposite. Plenty of people call themselves Christians, yet labeling ourselves Christians means nothing if we don’t have love for one another. All the religiosity in the world doesn’t matter if we don’t have love (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). In the same way that self-sacrifice and missional unity saved the broken galaxy in our featured movie this week, the love of God, experienced through and for one another, can save this broken world of ours, also.
Make it Personal: What does it look like to behave self-sacrificially? How does it change your perspective to remember the transformative power of God’s love toward you and thereby your love toward others?
Pray: God, help me to behaving lovingly toward others – especially my brothers and sisters in Christ. Remind us, together, that we are commissioned to be a team despite our differences, and let us be missionally-focused to be ambassadors of Your transformative love in this world. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Read: Romans 13:8; 1 John 4:11; 1 Peter 4:8
Weekly Memory Verse: “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” Matthew 16:26, ESV