Love…The Centre Of Our Call

Most things upon the earth carry an expiry date. No matter how much we care for them, when the date of expiry comes, they lose their potency. Likewise, our lives carry an expiry date. There was a day we were sent to earth and there is a day we must leave it. It doesn’t matter whether you believe this or not, religious or not, it doesn’t really matter. There is an expiry date for each life and no amount of preservation will prolong it. King Hezekiah in 2Kings chapter 20, was terminally ill and he knew he was about to “expire”. He cried to the Lord to elongate his years, God did by adding 15years more to his life. Unfortunately for him, he did not use it well. Maybe he should have asked for wisdom to help him make a difference that will bring glory to God and honor to Judah. It was in this borrowed time that he sold Judah out. When we pray, we ask God to give us long-life, in fact, we insist on it. When praying for the elderly amongst us, we pray same. It is not a problem for God to elongate our years upon the face of the earth. The question is what do we want to accomplish with the additional years? As sons of God, we have not been called to a purposeless life. The core of our living is supposed to be: “Love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again – not of perishable seed but of imperishable – through the living and enduring word of God” (1Peter 1:22b-23). Friend, this is the centre of our call.

Jesus Christ told us unequivocally: “I give you a new commandment: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35); “And we have this command from Him: The one who loves God must also love his brother” (1John 4:21). If this message is at the centre of our call, it will dictate our way of life on a daily basis: whether in the work place, school, home or the street! It will affect our decisions and our daily businesses no matter where we are positioned. Thus, our asking for long life will be justified as it will be to showcase the love of God for one another, so that the world will see, marvel and emulate. It is important to note that the intensity of darkness around the world is as a result of the measure of love we propagate. When love decreases darkness increases! Friend, love is light and it brightens and chases out darkness from our environment and communities. 1Corinthians chapter 13 exposes to us the fact that we may have all knowledge, understanding of mysteries, be good tithers, wonderful givers, if it is not borne out of love, we are nothing and gain nothing. If indeed we want to make a success of our lives here on earth and be welcomed in eternity, we must walk actively in loving all brethren no matter which divide of denomination they belong to. However, in order to love them truthfully, we have the responsibility to remove every hint or form of hindrance from our hearts: “So rid yourselves of all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy and all slander” (1Peter 2:1). These hindrances will foul our love for each other and thoroughly contaminate our call. To disregard this is to be in danger of the following: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord! Will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord didn’t we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name and do many miracles in Your name’. then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers’” (Matthew 7:21-23). Friend, having and operating this love cannot be wished away because it is central to our call in Christ Jesus. It is our responsibility to have it and operate in it. My sincere prayer is that the Lord will flood our hearts with His love in order for us to serve Him acceptably by sincerely loving our brothers. God bless you!