Monthly Messages from Sally Weiesnbach, Ark Founder & Director of Operations
God really tries to make our lives simple. When Jesus came to fulfill the law, he brought us just one commandment. It’s found in John 13:34-35 (CEB) “I give you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other. This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples; when you love each other.”
This new commandment fulfills all the old ones. We need not complicate our own lives. If we resolve to love each other, we will be able to follow all ten Old Testament commandments without confusing and complicated rules. See how simple it is:
- You shall have no other Gods before me. (Loving God is keeping our undivided attention on loving each other as Jesus loves us.)
- You shall not make for yourself any graven images. (When we are loving as Jesus did, we don’t need idols or material things to worship or obey our God because He lives in our hearts causing and growing our love and respect for others.)
- You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. (When we love each other as Jesus loved us, we don’t call each other names, and certainly not bad or disrespectful ones. We treat God and others with love. If you are taking the Lord’s name or other people’s names in vain, you are not loving them.)
- Remember the Sabbath day and keep it Holy. (The Old Testament way was rigid with lots of rules and “don’ts” for the Sabbath. Under the new commandment, Jesus’ way is to use the Sabbath to show love in worship, to notice the beauty of creation, and to rest so we’ll be fresh for loving and serving God and others during the coming week.)
- Honor your father and mother so your life may be long on the earth. (God wants happy families in happy homes. The new commandment means we honor by loving, respecting, and obeying our parents, including Himself as our Father, just like Jesus did. The bonus is often omitted from lists of the commandments but do note the happy result of loving these particular others.)
- You shall not kill. (We don’t want to kill what we love and who we love. If you want to kill, you are not loving like Jesus.)
- You shall not commit adultery. (When we love, we want to be true, so we are faithful to those we have committed to love and to trust. If you want to stray, you do not want to love as Jesus loved us.)
- You shall not steal. (Loving others means we ask and receive permission before taking things that belong to those others. If you steal, you do not want to love others as Jesus loves you.)
- You shall not bear false witness. (When we love each other, we do not want lie to each other. We don’t believe telling lies is somehow protecting them, or saving their feelings, or making things better than they are. We don’t gossip about or badmouth others. When we love each other, keeping trust between us is more important than a momentary feeling of discomfort. Jesus did not ever lie to us. If you want to lie, you do not want to love.)
- You shall not covet. (Loving each other prevents us from being jealous or greedy of what others have that we would also like to have. If you are feeling envious or unhappy because you do not have a thing or a situation that someone else has, then you are not loving as Jesus did. If you celebrate what you have and that they have what they have, you are loving them His way.)
God makes life simple. Simple is not always easy. Usually it’s hard, especially at first. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to help us, guide us, inspire us. Lean on the Spirit and, when all else fails, know that loving each other is always the correct choice. No matter what the new year brings, RESOLVE TO LEAD WITH LOVE. When you are feeling off or mean or are breaking a commitment, ask yourself, “Am I loving others as Jesus loves me?” If the answer is no, pray for the Holy Spirit to help you start again, with love. Happy New Year and blessings to all!
