“And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. If you have loved one another, then everyone will know that you are my disciples.“ John 13:34-35
So often we get hung up on what we need to do for God. At times we may even feel guilty because we think others are doing more than us, but in truth we are basing it on the gifts they have, not the gifts we have. There are also times that people urge us to be like them and practice the gifts they use. In their excitement, they want us to experience what they experience. Their hearts are sincere, but their gifts aren’t necessarily our gifts. An introvert, for example, may be made to feel like they are doing very little because they aren’t out preaching to all they meet. In truth their shyness prevents them as well as having no time because they are taking care of an elderly parent. They aren’t seeing that preaching is not their gift, while loving the elderly parent is. They discount the gift they have been given of loving the elderly and how they are using it. God didn’t say people would know Him by any one gift. He said people would know Him by our love. Why? Because “God is love” (1John 4:9) and all our many different gifts are both a means to bring God’s love to others and of loving Him and our neighbor.
God’s love is known because He loves through us. We are incapable of loving. At times we are made to feel we have to do more, but Jesus never lied and He said people would know Him by our love. How that happens is not up to us. That is the job of the Holy Spirit. Our gifts aren’t what gets us to Heaven. Using them as a means of giving God‘s love and by that loving Him and our neighbor is how we get there.
We will be judged by our love. It may be through directly preaching His word if that is how one is called to love, but it also may be through giving someone a drink of water, working in a nursing home, making a family dinner, painting a portrait, making someone laugh, planting a garden, repairing a car, etc. The gift may be given to one or it may be the instrument that brings people together to form a community. Whether for one or many, they are always meant to be shared and so on some level, they always entail sacrifice. Our efforts may seem successful or they may seem to be going nowhere. That highlights the mercy of God. He doesn’t even ask that we be successful in using our gifts. He just asked that we be faithful to our love for Him and neighbor so He is known.
The world needs the gifts you have because what you have is a means of giving God and His love to to others and, at the same time, it is a means of showing our love for God. Love is the reason for everything.
POINTS TO PRAYERFULLY PONDER DURING THE WEEK
Meditate on John 13:34-35 as cited above.
Meditate on 1John 4:9 as cited above.
Meditate on Matt 25:31-40
Meditate on 1John 3:16-18
What are your gifts and how do you use them as a means of giving God’s love to others?
CONTEMPLATIVE IN ACTION
During the week try and stay in the present moment so you can better be in the presence of God. Notice how He may be further guiding you along the way based on what you discovered in your prayer time.