Nougat 1

Had a good ‘ouch’ lately? The kind that springs from being called out for our stupidity, laziness or treatment of others? Sometimes the ouch comes from God’s Word, which cuts to the chase without actually calling us by name. Here’s today’s Holy Nougat

“For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”” ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

It’s a lovely passage you say; so why all the fanfare in the introduction? It is indeed a love nougat. And it only sounds ouch free when the implications of the message hasn’t hit. The Pauline writer elevates this call to Love as number one priority. Put that way, it seems to override even the command to love God with our hearts, souls and might.

But I remind us, although we love because we received love; loving God or others as we love ourselves demands that we love ourselves AND that that love is the foundation for all else. Assuming that we do love ourselves, are there specifics that we’d not desire to be meted to us? Is any of those negatives reflected in our attitude towards God? For example, if we prefer to be communicated with as friend and not as mere benefactor; then perhaps we ought to work on our personal prayer life. Because God’s more than just our benefactor.

Loving God AS our neighbor also invites us to love God IN our neighbor; whether they like us or not; regardless of race; class or gender; despite their economic or intellectual capacity. It invites respect, engagement and consistency – just as we’d like for our own selves. And (this being Thursday, I feel I must say), it really doesn’t include abusive attitudes that we truly would not desire to have imputed on ourselves.

So how have we loved on God lately? Does that love look like the love we desire?

Where have we felt an ouch in our reflection and what will we do differently?

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May all we seek be found in Christ