Life and Love in the Body of Christ

Recently, I was reminded of a little ditty that cleverly sums up relationships as they sometimes are in the church:

To live above, with saints we love,

Will certainly be glory;

But here below, with the “saints” we know:

Well, that’s another story!

Indeed, life and love in the Family of God can be challenging. The quirks and failings of fellow Christians, the immaturity of some and the stodginess of others, produce enough inconvenience that a few saints prefer a more unspecified format for their faith, where all relationships are casual, and all commitments short-term.

Yet, it remains true that, if we are going to have revival, it is required of us to grow in love. The Spirit of God speaks clearly through the Apostle John, “If you don’t love your Christian brothers and sisters, whom you can see, you obviously don’t love God, Whom you can’t see” (1 John 4:20).

That’s pretty plain: if your love for God increases, so will your love for each other.

However, before you can grow in love, you have to want to. If you focus only on love’s inconvenience, it will always be a struggle to love. However, if you focus on love’s rewards, it’s easier. The best reward for loving your fellow Christians is this: it’s one more assurance that you are born again. God speaks through the Apostle John again: “Beloved, we must love each other . . . because if you love, it shows that you are born of God and that you know God” (1 John 4:7).

Once you determine that you want to grow in love, you have to learn to see people like Jesus did. When Jesus looked on the crowds who followed Him, His heart was filled compassion. That same motive must inform your view of the Church. How you feel about your fellow Christians must be transformed by how Jesus feels about them. The fact is, you don’t have to approve of what they do, but you do have to be patient with their weaknesses and merciful with their sins.

Finally, it’s just a matter of opening your heart to the flow of God’s love. Fortunately, He doesn’t expect you, out of your own resources, to generate love for others. You simply need to seek His heart and let His Spirit flow, because He has more than enough love to go around. God speaks through Paul to remind us that “God’s love is poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, Whom He has given to us” (Romans 5:5). He is the source of love. You only need to be a vessel.

Don’t try to manufacture love for “the saints you know.” Instead, seek His love for them!

Ask Jesus to show you how He sees the others in the church, especially the ones who tend to bug you. Then ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with God’s love until you overflow.