“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:7.
When Jesus died for the world, he did not say that he was going to die for the Jews, rich, black, white or poor, to mention a few. He sacrificed himself for our sins and epitomized how we should love one another regardless of our skin color, origin or social status.
Jesus’ love proved his relationship with his father as well as the sacrifice that comes with unconditional love.
“Whoever loves has been born of God and knows God,” according to 1 John 4:7.
Nobody can proclaim to love or know God without loving one’s neighbors. Love is a foundation of our relationship with God and people. God loves everyone regardless of our imperfections.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
One way to pave the road to eternal life is to spread love to everyone and everywhere with no restrictions. Love is the fundamental pillar of our hope and faith.
The goal for the human race should be unconditional love with no expected returns. Loving one another does not cost anything except commitment and realizing how loving one another changes the world into a better place.
What most people do not realize is that loving is contagious. The more people you love unconditionally, the more love gets spread around the world. People do experience love in different ways. The truth is that love will always lead to kindness, empathy, generosity and holding each others’ hands.
Some people might be wondering how to fully love their brothers and sisters. There is no recipe for loving one another. Do not over think about it. Just do it.
As the Bible says, “Therefore, whatever you want people to do for you, do the same for them” (Matthew 7:12.)
Love others as you would like to be loved. Loving one another does not mean offering gifts or any material wealth. Even praying for the people you love brings countless blessings in their lives.
Praying for others consistently plays a vital role in strengthening our love as Jesus exemplified throughout his life on this earth. Ask the Lord to bless you and give you courage even to pray for the people you have not met yet.
Neither natural love nor God’s special love will remain on its own. It is our responsibility to nurture that love. Love is indeed spontaneous, but love has to be maintained through prayer, discipline and commitment.
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Gaston Niyitegeka is the media and outreach minister at Unity Christian Fellowship Church, 2712 S. Bay St., at Pine Bluff. Unity Church is an Inter-Denominational Christian Church dedicated to showing God’s love and loving God’s people. The senior pastor is Anthony Armstrong.
Unity invites the community to its Family Night on Tuesdays beginning with Bible Study at 6 p.m. Through the study of the word of God, families will gain strength, clarity and encouragement to face life’s challenges, a spokesman said. At 7 p.m., the church hosts a free Personal Financial Education class that focuses on financial literacy and the importance of having a financial plan. The church is practicing social distancing and will have hand sanitizer wipes available.•
Editor’s note: Pastors, ministers or other writers interested in writing for this section may submit articles to shope@adgnewsroom. com. Please include your phone number and the name and location of your church or ministry.