Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. (Gal 3:23)
I was raised to be a "religion", I was taught the rites and ceremonies of a church, from before I was old enough to even understand what I was learning. I became, as did many of my friends, a prisoner of that regimented and regulated church. I had to learn to "think outside the 'box'..."
Christ's words in the Gospels are very simple. He tells us to love one another! We have allowed "teachers" of God's word to complicate and manipulate his word so much so that it becomes impossible for us to believe we will ever be able to accomplish anything. Love is the key to it all. We know that "by works alone" we will not enter the kingdom. We know that "no one comes to the Father except through Jesus". It is by grace that we are saved and through faith that we receive blessings.
If we could just love our fellow man as Christ did, we'd have no fears! Reaching out in a time of need is one thing, but to do it every day, all day - well, that's a different story. Our personalities get in the way, our likes and dislikes, our idiosyncrasies and our stubbornness all contribute to how we see, act and react to others.
Make an effort today to be a little kinder to someone that ruffles your feathers, induces that "nails down the blackboard" reaction in you, or just annoys you to no end! Leave your sarcasm by the side of the road and just allow yourself to love someone you dislike. You don't have to become their best friend, but just take a step back and allow Jesus to lead your heart in those instances where you want to just smack the snot out of someone! His way is the only way - let his love guide you today and every day!
