The Importance of A To Do List- Part Eight

I have been sharing with you the insights of what God has personally revealed to me about my life's To Do List.  “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’"  “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!” (Luke 10:25-28)

To Do List:

1. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.

2. Love your neighbor as yourself.

Loving others is difficult for many people due to their idea of love. Many people attach conditions and expectations to their own selfish idea of love.  God's definition of love is completely different from the worlds. God gives us a vivid picture of how we are to love others:

Love never gives up. Love cares more for others than for self. Love doesn't want what it doesn't have. Love doesn't strut, Doesn't have a swelled head, Doesn't force itself on others, Isn't always "me first," Doesn't fly off the handle, Doesn't keep score of the sins of others, Doesn't revel when others grovel, Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, Puts up with anything, Trusts God always, Always looks for the best, Never looks back, But keeps going to the end.( 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7)

Now, how do we as Christians go about loving others in a world that is full of people who view the meaning of love in unrealistic and unhealthy ways? Here are some tips that I believe might help all of us to putting love into action in the way God intended.

# 1 - Accept others mistakes.  Every human makes mistakes. When someone makes a mistake, be quick to love instead of quick to point it out. 

#2-  Put others before self- This is not natural, but very rewarding when it actually is done..  What does this look like?  Listening more talking less, looking for needs of others and reaching out, be slow to react, make time for others.....

#3-Be thankful- Be thankful for the people in your life.  It is easy to be thankful for those who love us and make us feel good.  Real love is shown when we can put up with others who judge us, put us down, and persecute us and still show kindness and compassion.

#4-Practice Positive Thinking- Always look for the best in others.  Every person was created in the imagine of God.  Every person fails to reflect that imagine at one point or another.  Instead of focusing on the failures/weakness in others, look for the best in others.