1 Corinthians 16:14 (New Revised Version)
Text by Gaby Inglese, Basel (CH), mother, wife, employee in the team of the ARCHE bookstore
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The first time I heard the 2024 motto was about a year ago. I work in a Christian bookstore, and we are pretty much the first people there to come into contact with it, as we sell a number of items with the motto printed on them. My colleague commented ironically: "If only all Christians would follow this instruction..."
To be honest, I didn't really understand this year's text until recently. I would have described myself as a kind, loving person who doesn't really need a reminder to do everything out of love. I would also describe myself as a patient, loving mother, but when I reach my limit, I "freak out," as my son calls it. My voice becomes louder and more forceful than necessary, and there isn't much love left that you can feel.
As I sat in a church service a few weeks ago, the preacher spoke about exactly this topic:
«God is a God of love because God IS love. It is not human love. We humans sometimes confuse the two. We humans love when someone is nice to us. But God's love is unconditional. ... Without this love, we cannot fulfill the commandment that Jesus gave us: John 13:34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: as I have loved you, you also are to love one another." This is an order, not an option. We try to love others with our own strength. We decide: I am now going to be friendly. But then a situation comes along and it goes "whoosh" and we are at a hundred and eighty ...
1 John 4:9 "God showed his love for us when he sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 This love is unique: we did not love God; he loved us. He gave us his Son, who bore all sins, so that we could not sin. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God abides in God and God in him. 16 We know this, and we are confident that God loves us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God and God in him."
God loves EVERY person. With this love we can love as God loves us. (highly abridged excerpt from the sermon by Yvonne Gaam, Christ in us Church)
On the way home from this service I had a lot of time to think and I asked myself the question: could it be that everything I do is selfish and motivated by the desire to be seen, noticed and praised? That I am not as lovable a being as I would like myself and others to believe? That I am only out for my own benefit? Could it be that in my Christian journey I have forgotten this command from God to love others and have instead become all about myself? And if so, what conclusion do I draw from this?
It does no one any good if I am ashamed of my faulty behavior and try to hide it or blame myself. The devil may find this funny because he can then keep me in this self-accusing attitude, but God does not want that. He says: "Turn your old way and come to the Lord, and he will have mercy on you. Our God will forgive us whatever we have done." Isaiah 56:7
Whatever I have done wrong, I can come to God with it,
"confess" and he forgives me. I can tell him that I'm sorry and he forgives me. It's that simple. That's called grace.
I will never be able to live as God pleases and love others as God loves me. I will not be able to do everything out of love. I can only do that because Jesus intercedes for me before God: "He intercedes for us, so we can come to God with confidence and without fear. He will show us his mercy and grace when we need his help." Hebrews 4:16
That is what I wish for myself and for you, that we always come to God and say: "I cannot do everything out of love, please help me." And God will help us, "for the Lord is good to those who trust in him and seek him with all their heart." Lamentations 3:25
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