Love Looks, and Love Listens

In review of 1 Peter 2:17 it says, "Respect everyone, love other believers, honor God, and respect the Emperor."

Bottom Line:

Treat everyone you meet with respect and dignity.

What this means to me:

I am to treat everyone I meet respect, dignity and honor. I am to respect and take God seriously.  I am to honor the leaders above me regardless of how I may feel as God has put them into place. If I am to love like Jesus, it means that I must value others the way Jesus values me. I’m a child of the king. God created me, and Christ gave his life for me. The Bible says in 1 Peter 1:19, “The ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ” (NLT). My worth can be seen by looking at the cross. Jesus was willing to die for me. God was willing to give his Son for me. I am valuable to God. Jesus wants me to give that kind of value to everybody else, even the people I can’t stand. Christ says, “I love them this much (arms spread wide on the cross). So I expect you, my child, to love these people the same way I love them because I died for them, not just you. Treat them the same way I treat them. Value them the way I value them.”  The message translation paraphrases it to some simple steps, “Treat everyone you meet with dignity” (1 Peter 2:17 MSG). I can treat others with dignity by looking at them, giving them my attention, and listening to them. In Mark 10:21, Jesus was walking down the street, and a young entrepreneur came up to him and asked him a question. Jesus’ response was that he “looked at him and loved him” (NIV). He looked, and he loved. Its more difficult to love without looking! When a waitress serves me or the grocery store cashier speaks with me and I don’t give them my attention, I’m not being very loving. Love looks, and love listens. I have had problems with this in the past with not focus on others because I was busy. As I have over the last few weeks, II will incorporate this “look and listen” into my life. I will have faith and trust that God will provide the right amount of time for allow things to work out and I can still me my deadlines and commitments