Love your neighbour as yourself (1)

I just came home from the most amazingly beautiful camp ever! It was a week were I could enjoy fellowship with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Some people had come from Queensland, others Tasmania, a couple from Canada, and the rest of us from Perth. It was a great opportunity to make new friends and deepen friendships already made. But above all the camp was wonderful because it allowed us all to grow together in our love for God and our love for our neighbour.

The theme of the camp was 'Love your neighbour as yourself' and I just wish to share some of the valuable lessons I've learned through the various speeches that we heard over the duration of the week (but not all in one blogpost).

The first speech was titled: 'Love as a commitment', which really dealt with understanding 'what is true love?' The world has many definitions of love which are usually centred around feelings of desire, romance, appreciation and protectiveness, and while these are attributes of love are true and worthwhile, they miss the mark of true love. And why? Because true love can only stem through the One who has shown this love to us in the first place. God, in sending His only begotten Son into this world to die on a cross for our sins, has shown true love. For 'God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us' (Romans 5:8). That is God's amazing love with which He loves us.

Now we who have received this true love from God have been called to be 'imitators of Christ'. 'Therefore, be imitators of God as dear children. Walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma' (Ephesians 5:1,2). This act of imitating Christ is not something that we can do of and in ourselves, rather, 'having been renewed in the spirit of your mind' (Eph 4:23), God will work this through us. Imitating Christ is not something we need to do for Him. It is for this reason too, that we cannot say: 'it's just me and my nature, I can't do it. I just can't love my neighbour and do good to him, to show love to him.' For love is more that just a feeling. Love is a command of Christ. Love is a commitment.

Another command we have received from Christ is to abide in His love. And by abiding in Christ's love, by clinging to His love, then we are able to show true love to our neighbour. It's like imagining your life as a tall drinking glass. If that glass is filled with the love of Christ, if you live your entire being for Christ, then there is no room for Satan to work. And if you are Christ filled, then you will seek to do the things that He commands, namely, you will show love to your neighbour. However, if Christ does not fill your life, and the glass is only half full, then there is much more room for Satan. And Satan will take advantage of that room, he will fill your life will other selfish and deceitful things rather than true love for your neighbour. So the more you allow Christ to fill your life, the more you abide in Him, the more you will show love to your neighbour.

There are three characteristics of true love as a commitment: it is unconditional, self-denail, and total. Love is of God. And its a wonderful privilege to be called to bear His love!