“Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them … Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other … Live in harmony with each other … Do all you can to live in peace with everyone.” Romans 12:9-10,16,18
Lord Jesus, thank you for the look, smell, wonder, and beauty of the relationship-culture described in the verses above. So much kindness and encouragement—with fresh grace wafting through the AC system and a soundtrack of mercy, honor, and affection on repeat play.
Is this the life of heaven? Oh indeed, “Yes!,” for it takes the riches of heaven to cultivate hearts, marriages, churches, and friendships that look like this. But you have called us right now—well before heaven, to live and love like this. We won’t do it perfectly—but for your glory and by your grace, we can choose kindness over rightness, humility over haughtiness, sweetness over “snarky-ness.” In fact, it’s your will, not a whim. We are to love others as you love us Jesus. That confirms we are those who know and love you—more than anything else.
At the end of this very brief life, I can’t imagine any of us saying, “I’m SO glad I nursed those grudges and fertilized my roots of bitterness. They flourished! I didn’t win the lottery, but I was awesome at not giving up my self-righteousness, resentments, and record-keeping of how people hurt me.” Jesus, when you return and we behold the staggering fullness of your beauty, grace, and goodness—none of us are going to congratulate ourselves for being small-hearted, grace-misers.
It’s true, “It’s hard down here,” as a good friend reminded me. But even as our feet remain planted on the earth here, we’re already seated in the heavenlies in you (Eph.2:6). Jesus, increasingly free us to live and love to your glory. So Very Amen.