Today Mary took time to visit her cousin Elizabeth because she knew that Elizabeth needed her help. She gave of herself that her cousin might have an easier time.
Isn't that what we are all asked to do each and every day? To give of ourselves that others might have an easier time? But doesn't the human condition desire to make life easier for ourselves and not care what we take from others in order to obtain that end? It is when we search our own hearts and discover the sin in our own lives that we truly become compassionate and caring people. It is when we recognize this sin in our own lives and forgive ourselves that we can then forgive others.
The English language has only one word for love. It's the same word we use when we say we love our spouse or we love our car. But does it mean the same? Sometimes it does. If we treat our spouse or others as an object for our use than the word love means the same in both cases. But God calls us to a deeper and more meaningful love of others. A self-sacrificing love where we give up all in order to give everything of ourselves to the other. And the return is tremendous. But we are incapable of this great self-sacrificing love just because of our human condition. Why do think God sent Jesus to walk in our midst? He came to love us back from the darkness of sin and death. We experience eternal death even here on earth when we do not walk in the presence of God. Remember always that hell is not a place but a state of mind and it is always the absence of God.
Love one another today with the self-sacrificing love called Agape! We know from the Bible what love is:
Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13)
We have heard it read at just about every wedding. But how many marriages truly are built on this kind of love? Remember what love is not -
It is not ignoring the needs of another.
It is not screaming and yelling to make oneself heard.
It is not desiring things over the beloved.
It is not how much money you make.
It is not how big your home is.
It is not how nice your car is.
It is about what you give and how much you give up and how important God is in your life.
God bless!!
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