Love is the light that must shine in your works

Love is the light that must shine in the works of a christian. It is the sun that all must see. For in love there is no darkness and it is that characteristic that best reflects their heavenly father.

In the gospels we are left with the last instructions of the Saviour who conquered the enmity of man by his love which took him to the cross. But before that, his love made him rise to leave the consolation of heaven to come to the prison of earth. And before that it was love, yea utter love that made his Father plan a rescue for fallen men lost in the valley of sin.

His instructions were to go into all the world to make disciples as he made disciples of them. And his message to them was of reconciliation, was of feasting and of course of the coming judgment. In short, the message was of the kingdom and its king.

The Christian is to therefore go about his duties with love in his soul. For souls are sanctified through love. Love is the only thing that counts. It is the only fragrance that makes any work smell pleasing to God.

And I know that it is hard to love. It is hard because it is not in your natural disposition. Sure we love our friends but true love goes beyond that. It gives time to the stranger, and thinks no ill of them who wrong you. I have seen many eyes depart from me because they believe for some alien reason that I have Eros love for them, but I only have agape love for their souls. Such pity I must say I have for them. And I too can be chastised for my hellish bias. It is a travesty that of all things, our love should discriminate and that woefully. This is the second tragedy of all tragedies, with the first being Adam's rebellion that plunged all his posterity into a spiritual death.

So we are to love as Christs instructs his disciples to love one another. Love is the light that must shine in our works, and for this light to shine in the world, it must first shine in our soul. It must first dispel the darkness of our hearts before it eliminates the darkness of this world.

When there is sin in our hearts we focus too often on ourselves. Time we have not for others, for there is discontent in our souls. I know it too well.

For it is written that the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command, namely to  love your neighbor as yourself. Therefore the sum of our lives should be the same, namely in loving our God and our neighbors. 

O may love shine in my heart. May the Spirit help me and you in this endeavor.

K.Oni