| Loving others on earth is practice for eternity |
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“We are anxious that you keep right on loving others as long as life lasts, so that you will get your full reward.” Hebrews 6:11 (LB)
The greatest lesson in life is love. God designed life for us to learn how to love one another like God loves us. For the moment, we are in the midst of some rather serious on-the-job-training. God is making use of all things—pain and suffering, joy and comfort, opposition and cooperation—to transform us into people who love fully and deeply.
We’re to spend our lives learning to love one another because God wants us to be like He is, and God is love: “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:8, NIV). God designed this life to sever our ties to self-centeredness so that He can teach us to be other-centered—putting the needs of others over our own.
This love we are learning will never die: “Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit” (1 Corinthians 13:8, Msg), but the love we learn now will last forever. This life is practice for an eternity of love. It’s like pre-season training in the game of rugby: we’re practicing our love for one another now, strengthening our skills, preparing for the Rugby World Cup in heaven.
This is why we’re spending 40 days focused on loving one another in community; the stakes are enormous and the results will last forever. This is God’s purpose: “. . . when the time is ripe he will gather us all together from wherever we are—in heaven or on earth—to be with Him in Christ forever” (Ephesians 1:10, LB). No doubt, we will be surprised in heaven by how our love has flowed into eternity (Ephesians 4:4).
In the meantime, we’re to: Love urgently. “And we are anxious that you keep right on loving others as long as life lasts” (Hebrews 6:11, LB). There is an urgency about learning to love now because today could be our last day on earth. This life is fleeting, and eternity is coming. The opportunities for us to express love come and go quickly; we cannot take them for granted. One day our earth-bound lessons will end, and we’ll love for eternity in heaven.
Love consistently. As long as we’re living, we’re to “keep right on loving.” This curriculum of love is not something we learn once, and then put behind us. We have to study it for a lifetime, until we “know it so well, we’ve embraced it heart and soul.” We’re to “take up permanent residence” in this life of love, where we “live in God and God lives in us” (1 John 4:16, Msg).
Love expectantly. We’re to keep loving so we will get our “full reward” (Hebrews 6:11, LB). The greatest rewards in heaven will be for love, and those who love the most will be the most rewarded. It is in those we love where we will find our greatest reward.
POINT TO PONDER : The greatest lesson in life is love.
VERSE TO REMEMBER : “We are anxious that you keep right on loving others as long as life lasts, so that you will get your full reward.” Hebrews 6:11 (LB)
QUESTION TO CONSIDER : How can you practice love more urgently, consistently, and expectantly?
Learn how to love others and practice for eternity by launching the 40 Days of Community campaign in your church. Click here for more information on the 40 Days of Community. |