Happy Thursday to you!
Tremendously sorrowful occurrences are happening throughout the world. For those of us who are believers in God, we know that this is an end time world. Sad events will continue to transpire. Our purpose is to uplift and encourage people with the truth of God's steadfast love, His redemption, and the gift of eternal life with Him. No one knows when Christ will return. So let's continue the challenging work of striving toward consistent righteous.
You cannot claim to be a righteous person if you do not love your neighbor as yourself. If you hate yourself, well that's a huge dilemma. This next part does not apply to you unless you discover your self-worth. Thank God you are alive to learn how to love yourself and to love the stranger as yourself. The stranger meaning anyone who isn't familiar to you.
Learn to love your neighbors, your teachers, your co-workers, your leaders, your family members, your friends, as you love yourself. Learn to regard their lives as you regard your own. As I have said in a previous post, loving a person requires knowing that person. Love is an action word. Listen to the stranger's point of view. Open your mind to their perspective. Obviously, you should guard your peace and guard your righteousness. Nevertheless, discard your ignorance. Separate a person's sin from your understanding of their humanity.
Love people from an understanding that we were all created in God's likeness and God's image. Love people from an understanding that we all have fallen short of God's glory. Love people enough to forgive. Love people enough to not commit violent acts against them. Love people enough not to pervert justice. Love people enough not to envy them for their successes.
This post was suppose to be the weekly gratitude list. Instead of writing a list, I want to say thank you for visiting this post. Thank God for transforming our hearts and making us more tender to the "stranger". Thank God for giving us hearts of gratitude, love, and compassion. We were once callous regarding those who were unfamiliar to us. Now, there is a conviction in our hearts. We have to love. God is calling us to love. Until tomorrow,