It's Simple-Love God and Love others...or is it??!!

So another great day at church yesterday! I really love this church (the one in Md). The pastor spoke about reducing the complexity that we have put not only in our life but in our faith. I know I have fell victim to thinking “I have to go to this church function to be a good Christian” or “I have to donate to this specific charity to be a good Christian.” It was great to hear a Pastor say that wasn’t what was important. He explained how deadly this complexity can be because ultimately it will turn believers off from God, which is the opposite of what we are supposed to be doing! (Ah this felt like my childhood Catholicism finally being put in its place-sorry Catholics!). All in all, the pastor reduced the complexity to this passage in the bible:

Mark 12:28-31 28 One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29 Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ 31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

The pastor described these as L1& L2-Love God above all else, Love others. This is what you have to do; this is all you have to do. Now clearly this isn’t easy.

Last week I got very frustrated when a friend was complaining to me about things that seemed very trivial. How could she have the nerve to complain about things that she brought on herself and in my mind were so petty-when I had real problems? Only to have me try and explain my frustration to my husband at which point he downplayed the complexity of my problems, just as I’d done to my friend. So this past week I’ve learned the lesson if I want to be loved in my problems I need to love others in theirs. God loves me when I am wallowing, so I should do the same. I’m working really hard not to judge, and just listen with an open, prayerful heart.

God please open my heart to love others as you love me. You love me where I am, in spite of what I am; remind me to do the same for others. Lord thank you for the problems you have given me, thank you for those trials so that I may continue my journey and grow stronger each day. Lord, I pray for you to guide me in the issues that trouble me, as well as guide my friends and family in their times of trouble. In your son’s amazing name I pray, Amen!