To Know Is To Do

This means one must not transgress against and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger of all these offenses, as we also previously told and warned you. 

1 Thessalonians 4:6

The more I read scripture, the more convinced I become that this is a book about relationships-- with God and with fellow humans. Scripture draws a direct correlation between one's relationship with God and his or her relationship with others. This means that the way we interact with other people is telling of how well we know God. 

We can know about a lot about someone, but to know someone is a whole different thing. Truly knowing someone is the result of an ongoing, two-sided relationship. A relationship impacts every aspect of life. The interactions that take place in our relationships spill over into our interactions with others. They teach us, whether we realize it or not. And since our interactions with God tend to be foundational to all the others, we can't just study Him, we must also seek after His heart by interacting with Him through prayer and worship, among other things. If we want to learn the right way to think, interact and treat people, we need to spend more time with Jesus. 

It's all throughout scripture, to love God is to love others. To love anyone is to treat them with respect and honor. . It means that we no longer approach them with a "me first" attitude because godly love, agape or unconditional love, always considers what's best for the other person. 

But here's the kicker - loving others isn't as easy as we tend to make it sound. It goes way beyond a feeling or thought. It is something we do and continually practice as we battle all the reasons not to love at the same time. It has nothing to do with agreeing with others or liking their choices. The only real boundaries in loving others is in our hearts.

Even as we strive to do as Jesus does, we're going to make mistakes and bad decisions, but even in all of our messes God leaves open an invitation of redemption and healing. He leaves room for repentance and offers the grace of change when one is humble enough to apologize and seek reconciliation. He welcomes us to seek these things in our relationships with others just as we should with Him. He encourages us to keep getting back up and keep moving forward as He stands on the sidelines, cheering us closer and closer to the finish line.