How To Live Love-Forward By Sharon Musgrove #Devotional

How To Live Love-Forward 

By Sharon Musgrove 

Jesus was in a pickle one day when dining on the Sabbath at the home of a religious leader. Before him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling in his body and the Pharisees were watching Jesus closely to see if he would heal the man on this Holy day. Knowing he was being judged and explaining his forthcoming action, the Savior addressed the keepers-of-the-law, “... ‘Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?’" 

Luke 14:5 (ESV) 

 Of course, every man in the room would rescue a child or even an animal from a life-threatening situation! They had heart...right? Jesus was expressing to the religious leaders that showing love in a situation is upholding the law. This truth of love and law was also recorded in Matthew’s Gospel when Jesus was tested with the question, Which commandment is the most important of all?

 “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 first commandment. And a second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.’” 

Matthew 22:37-40 (ESV)

 Those two commandments – Love God and Love people – are the foundation from which the Old Testament laws stemmed. Matthew Poole’s Commentary states it this way, “love is the fulfilling of the law.” But the challenge of love is that it does not have cleanly defined boundaries. It looks different as new situations rise and is as unique as every individual. 

Love is not black and white but is ombre. Jesus’ situation with the sick and suffering man seemed to be a double bind: heal the man and break the law of Sabbath...or don’t heal the man and withhold love from him. Where was the win? The win is in loving others.

 We often find ourselves at a similar confrontational intersection, the weight of Christianity (doing “right”) making the choice feel heavier. Do I give money to the beggar on the street? Should I attend the wedding of my gay co-worker? Is abortion wrong when a woman is victimized? Jesus knew that love was the foundation of keeping the Sabbath Holy. He chose to ignore the religious rules of the Sabbath to show love to a suffering human being. Christ’s decision-making process was what is the loving thing to do? 

The life of Christ gives us a template for what living love-forward can look like. But even more significant, the Savior’s death put an end to sin = death. So, when we make choices that are either unloving or break the religious rules, we’re covered by the blood of Jesus. Freedom to live love-forward is Christ’s gift to us. So how do we navigate nuanced situations? By leaning into both Christ’s example AND into Christ’s forgiveness when choices appear impossible. We can try to do the loving thing, knowing when we err in judgement, we will be forgiven. 

 Let’s Pray: Heavenly Father, we reach out to You today no longer asking for answers to what’s right or wrong, but in seeking what love looks like in our current circumstance. Help us to see others as You see them ... as children needing love and requiring help. Give us the strength to serve with compassion. And forgive us when we choose the hurtful way, guiding us gently back to Love.

Author Bio:

 

Sharon has been writing and teaching biblically based curriculum, Bible studies, and devotionals since 2007.    

 

She has had the unique position of writing curriculum and teaching for two private, Christ-based, residential recovery programs. Both programs primarily served women in the homeless community.

 

Sharon has traveled multiple times to Kenya, serving on medical teams and teaching in the rural Maasai communities. She’s been privileged to speak in Leadership camps intended on encouraging and empowering the impoverished, underprivileged, and often abused young women.

 

Within these ministries, Sharon has witnessed the transformative power of loving words spoken to the broken-hearted. Sharing God’s love and witnessing its transformative power has become her passion.

 

Sharon and her husband, divide their time between Oregon and Hawaii. They have two grown children. 

 

Currently, Sharon is encouraging others via her inspirational blog, but prefers sharing face to face. Additionally, she is working towards a degree in Ministry. 

 

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Connect with Sharon:

Website: Sharonmusgrove.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Sharon-Musgrove-Untethered-102208978041060

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharonmusgrove_untethered/