Anxious or Depressed? Free coaching: info@wamkuipers.nl

Unity 20 Jul 2018

John 13:34 A New Commandment

I give you a new commandment:
love one another;
you must love one another
just as I have loved you.
It is by your love for one-another,
that everyone will recognise you
as my disciples.

The world is in need for love.

In Christian groups it may be easily avoided to 'love one another'. We are told: give love; work; perform. Still any person himself has a need for love as well. When I do not receive love or care or help when needed, I feel lonely.

An evangelizing group of people from different denominations felt God wanted them to practice the 'love one another'. The strange thing is that they were not willing to seek practical ways to work it out.
Now my question is: 'How should the people believe that we are Jesus Disciples?'

Making Team Decisions

I am married with Millet. She loves me. I want to love her.
It is a way of long patience to grow in love and unity.
Exactly when we need to make common decisions we feel disunity.

For no two persons it is easy to be in unity. For groups of people it may even be harder.

Fortunately or unfortunately social behaviour helps. Also strong leaders may make large groups of followers.

What may we expect from the 'love one another'?

1. Since it is God's commandment: if we refuse, we are disobedient and estrange ourselves from God. We will feel ashamed and alienated.
2. ALL others will believe that we are Disciples of Jesus.
3. We will grow in unity and be able to make common decisions that we trust.
4. Actually this should be the number 1: Everyone will feel healthy.

Why are we slow?

1. We do not know how to do it better.
2. We are wounded.
3. Lack of training and instruction.
4. Wrong priority in life. (we may focus on performing and getting things done.)
5. The Devil may tell us: it is not that important.
6. We may be afraid to loose ourselves.
7. Lack of honest desire and dreams.
8. Unbelief.
9. Rebellion, Refusal, Excuses, Disappointment.

Nevertheless:
As far as it depends on me I really want to be known as a disciple of Jesus.