I used to be a list-maker. I made lists for everything — people to visit, things to do today, things to do next week, groceries to buy, menus for this week, and on and on. Some lists were stashed in my pocketbook, some in a desk drawer, some on the ‘fridge door, some in my Bible. Sometimes I would find them a week or a month later and some things had been done, but some had not.
It probably was a waste of time, but usually, if I wrote things down, I could remember them better. The lists were good and I had good intentions to follow through, but I did not always.
My Christian life is like that. I began with high hopes of living as Christ wants me to, but I am still making mistakes. I do not want to give up, though. I am going to keep making my lists, but I have shortened them. Today, my list has one thing on it:
- Today, love God and love others intentionally.
As I matured, I learned that the most important thing is to love God with everything in me.
In Matthew 22, 36-40, Jesus said to love God with our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbor also. This is the most important commandment He gave us.
John 13:35 quotes Jesus telling his disciples that people will know we are his by our love for one another. I wonder sometimes if my behavior is any different from others around me.
Peter, in his first letter, 4:8, says love covers sins, which means that love is the key to forgiveness. That is hard to do sometimes, but we must do it.
So, on my list today, I want to intentionally love God and show the love that Jesus showed us to everyone I meet, even those who hurt my feelings and make me feel left out sometimes. That means I have to surrender all to Jesus, show His compassion, die to myself, and let the Holy Spirit lead me. I must follow Jesus, not just believe in Him and go my way.
I do not do this every day, although my intentions are good. I suppose we all could do better. I pray each morning for God to show me how to do better, and then I try. May God help us all as we try to do as Jesus did. May our best attribute be that we love God and love others.
Joyce Broyles is a retired High School Librarian. She lives in Jennings, LA.