“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk
in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up
for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
Ephesians 5:1-2
“Do as I say, not as I do!”
You know you have heard that before and maybe even uttered the phrase yourself.
Most often, it is a parent directing that instruction to their child.
Some very welcome good news to us is this:
Our heavenly Father never commands such from us.
We are not admonished by the Apostle Paul above to simply follow Gods’ words or commands but rather His example.
So what is the example He sets?
He walks in the ‘way of love’.
God is certainly not all talk and no action.
His words are weighty and true, to be sure, but they are also active and alive.
He does not say to us: “Hey you; go walk in the way of love!”
Instead He says: “Let me show you how that is done.”
“Just as Christ loved us…”
Before Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead He spent three years walking in the “…way of love…” and revealing that love from the Father to us and for us.
We have an example to follow.
We have someone who goes before us and says this is the way, walk in it.
I don’t know about you but for me it is tough sometimes to walk in the way of love.
Left to myself, I would find it much easier in my flesh to
careen down the highway of hate!
So would you.
But thank God, He did not leave me to myself.
He stepped in and became an example I could follow.
He didn’t just become an example by walking down ‘easy street’.
Instead, He took the road paved by my sin and yours.
So here is a challenge for us today -
When was the last time ‘the way of love’ took you to a place where you were required to sacrifice a little bit of comfort and ease in order to bless and strengthen someone else?
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