{"id":8033,"date":"2020-04-10T15:53:46","date_gmt":"2020-04-10T19:53:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/?p=8033"},"modified":"2020-04-10T15:53:46","modified_gmt":"2020-04-10T19:53:46","slug":"responding-to-guidelines-by-loving-god-and-loving-our-neighbors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.faithlafayette.org\/church\/responding-to-guidelines-by-loving-god-and-loving-our-neighbors\/","title":{"rendered":"Responding to Guidelines by Loving God and Loving our Neighbors"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over the past month\u00a0<\/span>there have been\u00a0<\/span>many changes to our lives, each driven by a new set of guidelines<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>from<\/span>\u00a0our local community leaders. These guidelines<\/span>\u00a0communicate\u00a0<\/span>how<\/span>\u00a0our leaders would like us to do our part in\u00a0<\/span>keeping our community healthy and safe.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u00a0then\u00a0had to make decisions about how\u00a0we\u00a0would respond.\u00a0Would we\u00a0choose to limit the number of people we meet with face to\u00a0face;\u00a0would we choose to stay home or go see friends? As the church, we had a significant decision to make initially,\u00a0should we\u00a0cancel worship services due to the gathering size? I think we all know\u00a0that\u00a0answer, but I want us to consider how the decision was made.\u00a0 The first command that we followed was not the governor\u2019s order,\u00a0but instead it was God\u2019s word,\u00a0which calls us to follow the authorities placed over us. And\u00a0so,\u00a0we chose to follow the governor\u2019s order because of God\u2019s\u00a0word.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the same way, we need to consider\u00a0all of God\u2019s\u00a0word and\u00a0its\u00a0implications for how we choose to live\u00a0today.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After God had saved the nation of Israel and led them out of\u00a0Egypt, only then did\u00a0He\u00a0give them His requirements. These commandments were\u00a0how He desired the people to respond\u00a0to His provision and protection.\u00a0Moses received these commandments from God written on stone tablets \u2013 commonly known as the Ten Commandments.\u00a0When Moses returned with\u00a0the\u00a0tablets, he\u00a0spoke to the people\u00a0reminding them of what God had done for them,\u00a0so that they\u00a0might choose\u00a0to honor His commands.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I encourage you to pause and read Deuteronomy 10:12-22.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

God has shown us, most clearly in the cross, eternal provision and protection. Therefore, as we consider how we will respond to the rules and guidelines of our earthly authorities, we need to first consider how we will respond to God\u2019s word.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The First and Greatest Commandment<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

When Jesus was tested by the\u00a0religious leaders in Israel about the greatest commandment, He\u00a0referred\u00a0to Moses by\u00a0calling us to love the Lord our God with all our\u00a0heart,\u00a0soul and mind. Moses began by saying,\u00a0\u201cNow Israel, what does the Lord your God\u00a0require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all of His ways and love Him.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Many of us would say that we love God, but the real question is not\u00a0if\u00a0we\u00a0say we\u00a0love\u00a0Him.\u00a0 Rather, do\u00a0we\u00a0love Him\u00a0most? Do\u00a0we\u00a0love\u00a0Him more than anything else?\u00a0In order to examine\u00a0ourselves, we\u00a0need to\u00a0consider even the smaller decisions we make in a day.\u00a0\u00a0Here is a\u00a0simple question to ask yourself:\u00a0\u201cAm I doing _______\u00a0because it is good for me, and God would be OK with it too?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0When we love God most, our decisions are based on Him first\u00a0and the implications\u00a0for\u00a0us\u00a0are secondary at most.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To help in\u00a0bringing this to the front of our minds, I recommend memorizing two verses of Scripture that help me to remember my purpose in life.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1 Cor 10:31\u00a0–\u00a0Whether, then, you eat or drink or\u202fwhatever you do, do all to the glory of God.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2 Cor 5:9\u00a0–\u00a0Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be\u202fpleasing to Him.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With these truths in mind, I can seek to love God most in even the smallest decisions\u00a0of my day.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Motivation to Love God Most<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

It is easy for me to say that I\u00a0love God most, but my self-centered\u00a0heart continues to\u00a0want to put myself first.\u00a0 Why is that?\u00a0 I put myself first because I\u00a0have something very wrong in my understanding of\u00a0God and\u00a0my understanding of who I am.\u00a0\u00a0This topic alone could extend into a book, so I\u00a0will\u00a0focus on what I can know from\u00a0today\u2019s\u00a0passage.\u00a0Moses shows us two truths that can change my self-centered heart.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

First,\u00a0Moses\u00a0said,\u00a0\u201cBehold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the highest heavens, the earth and all that is in it\u201d\u00a0(Deut\u00a010:14).\u00a0 God created everything. He owns everything\u00a0and I just happen to be a part of everything.\u00a0 When I inflate my own importance and love myself before God,\u00a0I am placing myself above the One who created me.\u00a0 Can we all just agree that that does not make sense?\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A second truth\u00a0demonstrates that God loved me first. \u201cYet on your fathers did the Lord set His affection to love them, and He chose their descendants after them, even you above all peoples, as it is this day\u201d (Deut\u00a010:15).\u00a0God demonstrated\u00a0His love for His people by saving them long before\u00a0He set the Ten Commandments before them.\u00a0God\u2019s\u00a0word shows us\u00a0repeatedly\u00a0that God chose us; He didn\u2019t\u00a0wait to see if we would love Him.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Just as God brought Israel out of Egypt\u00a0first, God also demonstrated that He loves\u00a0you and\u00a0me\u00a0more than anything else.\u00a0 By giving His Son, willingly going to the cross to pay for\u00a0the debt of our sin, God chose to love you and\u00a0me\u00a0even when we still loved ourselves more.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is just the beginning. But when I choose how I will respond to God\u2019s\u00a0word,\u00a0I can know that I am responding to the One who\u00a0created all things, who created me and loves\u00a0me.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How then shall I\u00a0Respond<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Jesus\u00a0answered this question as well in His response to the religious leaders.\u00a0 He\u00a0said,\u00a0\u201cThe second is like it, \u2018You shall love your neighbor as yourself\u2019\u201d\u00a0(Matt 22:39).\u00a0\u00a0Moses had also called\u00a0the Israelites\u00a0to love\u00a0their\u00a0neighbors\u00a0as he\u00a0showed them how\u00a0God\u00a0loved\u00a0those around\u00a0them\u00a0saying,\u00a0\u201cHe executes justice for the orphan and the\u00a0widow, and\u00a0shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing\u201d (Deut\u00a010:18).\u00a0He then goes on to call us to do the same\u00a0because we were once in the same position and need as those around us.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, as we see the needs of our neighbors\u00a0and\u00a0the needs of our community, how will\u00a0we\u00a0respond?\u00a0 Will\u00a0our\u00a0first thought be the impact on\u00a0us\u00a0and our\u00a0families?\u00a0\u00a0If we desire to please God and choose for His glory, our first thoughts are to be for God Himself and then for our neighbors.\u00a0 This is not a call to run recklessly into a dangerous situation, but\u00a0to\u00a0consider\u00a0what we have\u00a0and how we might love others.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are many ways that we can all love our neighbors. A few examples might include:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n