Christian Living

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The Powerfully Simple Truth

Often in the crucible of pain and sorrow, great truths are recognized with shining clarity. We’ve heard them and quoted them all our lives, but sometimes it takes severe testing to make them come alive and take hold of our very being. But when that occurs, it behooves us to accommodate the new-found light into our behavior from that day forward.

Once when Jesus was being grilled by a doubting crowd, He said these immortal words, “The first and great commandment is, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul. The second is like unto it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Upon this hangs all the law and the prophets.” Matt. 22: 38ff, paraphrased How glibly this passage is quoted! And how soon forgotten in our practical (practicing?) everyday lives. It commands our behavior in toto, or we are missing the mark. It is the summation of all truth. Covers all the bases of man’s duty to God. It’s that simple. But day by day application? Probably neither often nor regularly—even from pulpits. But there it is. Blindingly clear. We stumble at simple, heart/behavior changing truths and swallow camels of meaningless arguments and words without the slightest choke.

This is the pre-emptive mandate in all creation. Yes! If we love God, we will willingly obey Him. If we love one another, we will treat each other with the compassion and caring that we ourselves long for.

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