GET AHEAD, NOT EVEN!
“If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well. [1 John 4:20-21]
Thought Adjuster: “Let us talk about the universal quality of genuine love. The above quote from the Scriptures can act as an eye- and heart-opener. Indeed, too often, the love you claim to entertain for your Heavenly Father is belied by your hateful, judgmental, and cynical behaviors towards your brethren in the flesh.
“God the Father remains hidden from your sensory perception behind the curtain that separates the visible from the invisible. How then can you verily demonstrate that you love Him? Another question I would like to ask you is to consider the reason why one of His Sons chose to incarnate in the flesh as one of you—Jesus of Nazareth.
“Just as the Divine wished to reveal more of Himself through a visible Ambassador of His Love-in-Action, He also wanted to experience the beautiful splashes of an unhindered love flow between His children of flesh and blood.
“Moreover, since God’s love is unconditional, the same non-discriminative quality is expected from those who claim to love Him. Your life on Earth provides you with ample opportunities to train in the Art of True Love. Your ability to love will be tried and tested through a multitude of scenarios arising from the diversity of the brotherhood of man.
“It is easy to feel warm and fuzzy toward those who are kind to you. It opens a door for love to move into your life, and it is also the reason why the family structure is most appropriate to instill in you the basics of love.
“Soon enough, you are called to engage in social interactions with your playmates or schoolmates. In that process, feelings may get bruised, as children get exposed to ‘hard-to-love’ character traits. They have now entered the elementary school of love, where forgiveness, empathy, and compassion are part of the emotional curriculum. Those who progress, make allowances for the shortcoming of their fellows. Those who fail, entertain grudges and plot to get even through hate, instead of getting ahead through love.
“God never retaliates. Such was the revolutionary message He relayed through Jesus. Your planetary reality presents you with myriads of opportunities to love the divine attributes nestled in your fellow men. By mastering this entry-level requirement, you demonstrate that you are ready for higher education in the Universe-City of Love in Action. By then, you will have shown the Invisible God that you truly love Him—not by lip-service but by heart-service in His Name to your entourage.”
