Love God + God’s People!

“For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people” Col.1:4

“For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people” Col.1:4 [emphasis added]. This is just so profound. When I saw this, I paused. I can see that the Scripture points out; we have seen your faith in Christ and your love to God’s people. This means that it is impossible to love Jesus and hate the church, it is impossible to love Jesus and hate His people. It is impossible to love God and hate God’s people. God’s people are not perfect but guess what? If you love God, you will love His people. Imagine someone says to a mother, I love you but I hate your children because they are not perfect. You probably will rebuke the person and sever that relationship straightaway.

Sometimes the things I see and read just amaze me. People say, I think Jesus is a “good guy” but I really don’t like Christians. I look at them and I just smile and the reason I smile is because they do not know Jesus. If you know Him and you love Him, you will love me. If you hate me, it is proof that you do not know Jesus because I am His boy. And that is how it is in Scripture. I respect Mahatma Gandhi [an Indian philosopher], he has been around for a while and he did a lot of good things. He made this statement, I like Christ but I do not like these Christians. And he apparently had good reason for saying that because sometimes Christians behave very badly and give Jesus a bad name. This was someone that obviously did not know God but said well Christ is okay but Christians are not. He was sharing one of his experiences with a Reverend when thugs showed up to harass them. The Reverend evaluated the situation and wanted to run away and Gandhi said, didn’t Jesus say if they slap you on one cheek, you should turn the other cheek? What Gandhi was saying in essence is you need to withstand evil, Jesus withstood evil and that is what caused Him His life. And if you are His follower, you cannot be timid and running away. You are Jesus follower but you are afraid of demons? Something is wrong with you. Gandhi is saying, I can’t understand these Christians and he has a valid reason. But you see, if he came in contact with God, knew God, and he came in fellowship with God, like the church in Colossae did, the love of God will be shed abroad his heart. The love for God will mean love for His people. Why? “…Christ is also the head of the church which is his body” Col.1:18.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, let my love for You and devotion to You be expressed in love for and devotion to Your church, Your people, in Jesus Name.