Humbly in Love

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free, but do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out, or you will be destroyed by each other.

Galatians 5:13-15

Study Bible Notes (Not the Lutheran Study Bible)

5:14-15 When believers lose the motivation to love, we become critical of others. We stop looking for good in them and see only their faults. Soon, we lose our unity. Have you talked behind someone’s back? Have you focused on others’ shortcomings instead of their strengths? Remind yourself of Jesus’ command to love others as you love yourself (Matthew 22:39). When you feel critical of someone, make a list of that person’s positive qualities. When you hear gossip or backbiting, confront those doing it or walk away.

Life Observations

When we lose the motivation to love, we become critical of others… I dare say even when we find ourselves annoyed with others, we jump to criticism before we jump to understanding. We begin to pick the other person apart, focusing only on their shortcomings. In life, it’s easier to focus on the bad or the negative and say, “This is just the way it is.” We shy away from having conversations, let alone the tough ones, the ones that help us navigate life with each other. Conversations that give us insight to who the other person is, to help us work through the tough and find common ground. Sometimes we have to humble ourselves in love, put down our pretenses and listen.

Serve One Another

Humbly in Love…
Humbly: (adverb) actions done in a modest, respectful, or unpretentious manner, devoid of arrogance or pride.
Love: A profound, multifaceted emotion characterized by deep affection, tenderness, and devotion, often involving selfless care for another’s well-being.

Serve one another with actions done in a modest, respectful, or unpretentious manner, devoid of arrogance or pride in (with) deep affection, tenderness, and devotion for another’s well-being.

Love Your Neighbor As Yourself

The entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command.
Love your neighbor as yourself. What does that look like?
If you want the biblical answer, look to who Jesus speaks of as your neighbor in Luke 10:30-37.
Then imagine yourself as the person attacked by robbers while all these people walk by you doing nothing.

It should be so simple. Yet often we set out to live our day-to-day life thinking only of ourselves and our plans. When someone interrupts them (insert neighbor, aka the person in our vicinity), we react as if we were a fuse, set to go off. I had plans, I have things to get done. How do we learn to lay down our plans and allow the inturruption. How much is too much to give of yourself?

What if our mindset was flipped, and upon waking, our thoughts became “How can I serve my neighbor today?”
It doesn’t have to fill your full day, but how can reaching out help someone else?

Who is that neighbor today? Is that your husband, your children, the person in your grocery isle, the person you see on the street on your way to work, a co-worker…(So many opportunities)

Walk Humbly (< linked to another blog)
Serve one another with actions done in a modest, respectful, or unpretentious manner, devoid of arrogance or pride in (with) deep affection, tenderness, and devotion for another’s well-being.

Extra Tidbits:

Side note to this convo.
Two of my favorite books to read. Finke, the theme is in the title. How can I lay down my day to join Jesus in his mission. And Goff, the theme is kind of along the lines of getting out of our own way and seeing how the Lord works if we just listen. The book titles double as links to amazon (they are affiliate links).
Joinging Jesus On His Mission – by Greg Finke
Love Does – by Bob Goff