Loving Others is Loving God - Day 192 Month 7-10 Week 28-3
Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year)
1 Samuel 12:12–13:23, Proverbs 5:15-6:5, Lamentations 3:39-66, Acts 21:27-40
Loving Others is Loving God
“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.” (Proverbs 3:27)
On a typical Thursday we take our dog, Jake, to doggy daycare. Jake can tell when it is doggy daycare day, likely because of the way Sylvia changes her morning routine to get Jake there on time. It is possible, and you may sense the sarcasm, that she also winds him up a little, making his excitement and energy go over the top. This morning, Sylvia changed her routine because she had made a deal on some end tables on Facebook Marketplace and was off to pick them up. This was not doggy daycare day, and you could see Jake's disappointment. If you are not a dog person, you may not realize how much dogs show emotion, but they do.
When Sylvia left, I was still reading today's Scripture while watching Jake out of the corner of my eye. He paced back and forth, trying to see where Sylvia had gone. He looked out the back window and did not see the car. Then he went into the living room to see if she was somewhere in the house. Eventually I called him and, in what seemed like resignation, he simply lay down at my feet. When Sylvia returned a few minutes later, she commented on how sad he looked.
I think Solomon, in his wisdom, is explaining that when good is due to someone, withholding it deprives that person of something that should rightfully be theirs. Withholding good can create a sense of power or control, but it often comes with negative consequences.
Consider an employer who withholds overtime pay because of a technicality. The employee may become discouraged and lose respect for an employer who appears more concerned about money than people.
Or consider the ability to feed those who are hungry, yet choosing not to because of greed. People continue to starve while others have more than enough to help. Nothing warmed my heart more than to find out that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce donated significant funds before their wedding to multiple charities, largely supporting charities who feed those in need.
After my father's passing, my mom told me how proud my dad was of me. Unfortunately, he rarely expressed that to me, and I often came away feeling that he was disappointed instead. We always had food on our table. He invested wisely, and our family has benefited from that. Now, do not start thinking I need therapy because my father never told me he was proud of me. My point is simply this. Our relationship would have been very different if he had told me he was proud of me, or even that he loved me.
Here we are again, back to a theme I have written about many times. Love. I immediately thought of the Beatles song, "All You Need Is Love." The lyrics are simple, but the message is profound. When we do not withhold love, so many broken things begin to heal. If we truly love our neighbour, our neighbour does not go hungry. Our neighbour experiences our care, and perhaps even sees Jesus through us.
Love is the incredible gift God has never withheld from us. In turn, we should not withhold love from our neighbour. By loving our neighbour, we love God. It becomes a beautiful circle. God loves us. We love others. By loving others, we express our love for God, and the circle continues.
Have a great day!
Steve
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