I was reading through the news feed this morning and saw the latest headlines of violence, mistrust, and hatred that permeate our world today. I don’t know about you, my fellow writers, but I want my writing to help end these problems and not just call attention to them.
The world is full of problems. Hatred, bigotry, poverty, war, death…the list goes on and on. Countless individuals, whose intentions are not in question, have attempted to right one or more of these wrongs. Charities, government programs, education, emphasis on tolerance, and yet the world’s problems persist and even continue to get worse.
The real issue is that each and every one of us has a heart problem. We are selfish. We focus on our own wants and desires and forsake our faith in Jesus Christ. We value our own lives and pleasures over the lives and needs of others. James 4:1-3.
Consider the Ten Commandments. The first five deal with our relationship with God and the second five deal with our relationship with others.
“One of them, a lawyer, asked Him [Jesus] a question, testing Him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, ” ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”” (Matthew 22:35-40 NASB)
Love God first with all your being and love others as you love yourself. If we obeyed these two statements, there would be not war, no greed, no selfishness, no hate.
Our focus has shifted in this country from loving God and loving others to loving only ourselves. This selfishness has bred hatred of change, hatred toward any threat to our to possessions, hatred of anyone who doesn’t perfectly emulate our culture and traditions.
God is not calling for us to be more tolerant. God is calling us to love Him and to love others. With love comes everything else. After all, Jesus loved us first and gave his life for us.
“”For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NASB)
You want true change to come to America? Start by changing your focus. Set your heart and focus on Jesus Christ, and then emulate His life by loving others more than yourself.
