Christmas Countdown - Dec 5

The Greatest Command is LOVE

One day a man asked Jesus "What is the MOST important thing God wants me to do?"  That's a good question!  I want to do what God wants me to do, and I'll bet that you do to!

Jesus answered "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  Then, love your neighbor as yourself.  If you do this, you will be doing everything God wants you to do."  (Matt 22:35-40) 

Love is not some gushy feeling - though when we love people, we usually do feel good when we think about them and are with them.  Love is about what we DO.  Loving God means that I think about Him, and I ask Him to help me do the things that He wants me to do, like obey my Mom and Dad, speak kindly, share my toys and always tell the truth.  When we do what God tells us to do, we are showing Him that we love Him.  When we love God, He helps us want to love other people too.

Sometimes it is hard to know how to love other people.  Jesus said "Treat other people the way you would like them to treat you."  That makes it pretty simple.  Before I say or do something, I can ask myself "Would I like them to say or do that to me?"  I'm glad Jesus told us that!  (Luke 6:31)

He said another thing about love.  Jesus said that He wants us to love other people the way He loves us.  If we do that, they will know that we are following Him.  (John 13:34,35)  I love Jesus, and I want other people to know Him and love Him too.  When I think about how much Jesus loves me, I want to love other people like that.  Jesus is kind and gentle, patient and forgiving.   

"Dear Jesus - thank You for loving me so much!  Help me to love other people the way You love me, and to treat them like I want to be treated.  Amen." 

(Here is the link to the full devotional:  http://elizabethtreger1.blogspot.com/2014/12/christmas-countdown-dec-5.html)