JOHN 13:34-35 – A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

THEME OF THE DAY. THE MARK OF A CHRISTIAN. Ever been hurt, criticized, dealt with unkindly, or talked to in an unedifying way by another person? Yeah, yeah. I know. Sounds like a silly question. You might be thinking right now, “Hello, Jim. Wake up. We are sinners. Of course I have. Even in the closest of human relationships. And yes, I have been guilty myself of showing unloving actions, attitudes and words to another human being I love. It is part of our fallen nature.”

Yes, I would agree to all you might have been thinking. However, we are never with an excuse when our hearts, tongues, and actions betray our identity as Christians; a people called to be controlled by the love of Christ, not some of the time, but all of the time, in every relationship and every situation. And yes, that statement sounds unattainable, but it is the standard and even expectation of our God. But should you feel like giving up right now, let me encourage you. To be controlled by the love of Christ all the time does not mean perfect performance all the time. It means short accounts all the time when we fail. In fact, we can maintain a testimony of wearing the mark of Christ’s people which is love even in our failing. Allow me to give an illustration.

Let’s say I have asked by my wife to do something and she failed to do so. I follow up and say, “Joy, did you take care of (whatever it was I asked her to do)?” She responds, “Oh, no. I am so sorry. I forgot. I will get it done soon. I promise.” Instead of my response being, “It is okay. I know you have been busy. Whenever you can”, I get irritated and either say something unkind or give her the silent treatment while harboring a critical attitude toward her for failing me. What I do next with the sin I just committed against God and her will determine if I am maintaining the mark of a Christian which is love; a love that bears all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). If I immediately acknowledge my sin, seek her forgiveness and repent, then my witness and identity is still intact despite my failing. However, if I ignore it, harbor it, and don’t make my sin right with my God and my wife, then I am displaying the opposite mark of what Jesus states is to be in His people – love for one another.

Now, move this into the realm of our relationships with other Christians. If we are going to be real Christians seeking real Biblical fellowship, then we are going to be transparent, honest, and in some fashion and at some time, going to hurt one another. Genuine relationships, whether in a marriage or church, demand vulnerability and where vulnerability exists, so does the inevitability of disappointment, hurt, and strained relationships. That is the price we pay for Biblical authenticity. It happened among the disciples. It happened with Paul, Barnabas, and John Mark. And it will happen to us, if we really want to be true disciples and a true church. However, just like the illustration with my wife, we can maintain a vibrant relationship of love with one another that shows the world the reality of Christ if we keep short and honest accounts of our failings with one another.

Sadly, the opposite happens too much. Christians hurt Christians or disappoint one another in churches, and instead of lovingly seeking to reconcile, draw close, and show the power of God’s grace to others, one party simply leaves the church and goes somewhere else. Friends, that is what the world does in tough relationships. They flee. They run. They don’t want to confront and be made better from the conflict. The world sees this among churches and Christians and says, “They don’t even get along with each other, why would I want to be a part of that?” Don’t think this happens . . . it does. All the time and the testimony the Lord says marks us as His – love for one another – is marred. But it doesn’t have to be . . . Christ in us means Christ for us and the ability to love one another through thick and thin comes from this union with Him who is love, enabling us to love; no matter the offense or hurt.

PRAYER: “Father, help me not harbor bitterness or an unforgiving spirit to any of Your children, and thus betray my identity.”

QUOTE: “Love is the badge identifying God’s people as His and it is a love for all God’s people; even those who hurt us”