In The Sermon on The Mount, Jesus said, "But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you [only] love those who love you, what reward do you have?" (Matthew 5)
Tonight I am not exactly sure how to say what is on my heart. How do we even begin to comprehend the greatness of our God, who spoke the vast universe into existence? How do we understand the power of the one who holds all heavenly bodies in their place? Is your mind boggled at the design and the order of all creation? And did you ever wonder how an omnipotent, ominipresent and unchanging God knows and cares about you and me? And how can he care for people everywhere through all history past, present, and future?
It is impossible for me to understand how and why God reached down to the likes of me to redeem me and welcome me into His family. One hymn says, "amazing love! How can it be that Thou, my God should'st die for ME." Another old song says, "How big is God, how big and wide his vast domain? To try to tell these lips can only start. He's big enough to rule the mighty universe, yet small enough to live within my heart."
We could go on and on talking about the "wonder that God loves me!" Perhaps Francis Schaeffer had some of these very thoughts when he wrote his book, How Shall We Then Live? And that is what I hope we think about: in light of all that God has done in us and for us, how should we be living? And more specifically, what should our behavior be toward others? The Bible says, "be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you."
Friends and family, it is so easy to fall into the negativity that is so prevalent in this world. Let us be in continual prayer that we will recognize that all people are made in the image of God. Let us look into ourselves and begin to find some understanding of just what God has forgiven us -- "my sin, not in part but the whole was NAILED to the cross and I bear it no more. . ." Let's realize that if God loves us anyway, we should have such an attitude toward others.
Life is too short for us to do less than to be, to do, and to think in God's terms. Together, we can make a difference. We can express joy, not anger. We can love, not hate. We can learn humility, and not let our pride get into the way. Let us sincerely seek to be the people GOD created us to be. And most of all, let's be people of prayer.
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