Love people as Jesus loves us

Too often I think that we develop an "I am more important than you" mentality. We see it in politics, business, and advertising and also in the church. We like to put the other guy down. It probably stems from the fact that we are all very selfish and our main concern is to take care of ourselves.

It is a problem that has been around a very long time. One of the earlier instances we can read about in Genesis chapter 4 when Cain killed his brother because of a jealousy problem. We have seen the results of selfishness since the beginning of time in prejudice and killing around the world. There have been many laws made to try and correct this problem to no avail.

This selfish attitude is not how Jesus would want us to be. Rather, he tells us to think of the needs of other people before our own. Our job as believers is to treat others better than ourselves and to love people into God's kingdom.

I am embarrassed when some professing Christ use violence to try and change some problem with our society. Such problems might include abortion, homosexuality or even murder. The way to change these problems is not with violence of any kind but to deal with the heart, bringing healing and restoration through Jesus Christ. Our job as Christians is to love people as Jesus loves us. We need to hate sin but love the sinner.

In the Bible, Jesus dealt with two of his disciples on this exact issue. In the book of Luke chapter 9, James and John thought they were helping Jesus when they volunteered to call down fire from heaven to consume a Samaritan town because they would not receive Jesus. He turned to them and said "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."

The Bible tells us in Matthew, chapter 28 to "go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." The way we can do this is to love people into the kingdom. We should not judge them for where they have come from, but look forward to their new life in Jesus Christ.

I remember a friend I had before being called as a pastor, who exemplified this very thing. He would always talk in an encouraging way and speak of people as being finished as if God had already perfected them. I was always happy to have him around because of the way he made me and many other people feel loved by God.

So let us walk in this kind of love and convince the people outside God's kingdom that it is indeed "the gospel" or "good news" and not just another club to belong to. Everyone is looking for a place to belong to and the church is that place if we will treat people like we want to be treated.

Matthew 7:12, "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the law and the prophets."

n Pastor Lon Smith of the River Ministries in Coleville is a member of Carson Valley Ministers' Association.