One Accord part 4
It's about unity. A threefold cord is not easily broken. You and me and Jesus makes three. Wherever two or three are gathered, He is in the midst. Love is in the midst. Because where two are gathered there is the opportunity for relationship. Connection. Unity. We don't have to agree on everything (or pretty much anything, really). We can go along to get along regardless. We can love each other no matter what. And there is the one thing we CAN agree on no matter what; love. If I line up with God (Jesus, love) and you line up with God (Jesus, love) we will automatically line up with each other... in love. You don't have to "like" someone to love them. And I've found that when you love someone, it's hard to end up NOT liking them. Because a big part of love is affection. Giving people... yourself. Laying your life down for them. Giving everything you have and everything you are without worrying about getting anything back. Whenever I drop the memory verse about laying aside the sin and the weight that so easily besets us, I try to make sure we don't miss the part about being compassed about by a great cloud of witnesses. We're all in this together. We need each other. That threefold cord is us holding hands and binding together. Not in a bad way, or a "you scratch my back if you want me to scratch yours" way. Not in an obligatory way. But in a edifying way. In a building each other up way. If you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go together. Things work out better when we work together. Like I said, unity. Helping each other. Not kicking someone when they're down, but picking up the slack when someone needs it. I've long said that the only time we should look down on someone is when we are reaching down to help them up. Taking their hand. Strengthening them. And, the cool part is, when we strengthen someone else we are not diminishing ourselves. We are also strengthening ourselves! The tide raises all ships! (Apparently I'm going for a record for cool sayings and metaphors tonight.) My point is: We're in this together. We need each other. And the only way to HAVE each other is not by demanding from each other. It's by giving to each other. Love is giving. You can give without loving, but you can't love without giving. They are not just connected. They are the same thing. So give what you've got. And don't worry about getting anything. Your heavenly Father--Creator of heaven and earth--has your back. You couldn't give anything unless He first gave you something. You have what you need. Use it. Share it. Give it away. And in that way you will build those relationships. It's really hard to NOT like someone who is loving the hell out of you. It's hard to walk away from that kind of love. So instead of focusing on what you don't have... focus on what you do have. And focus on it by giving it to those that need it. See a need and meet it. Don't worry about what you can't do, and just do what you can do. Get in where you fit in. Link up with people that come into your path. Love without condition or reservation. Line yourself up with the will of God by receiving and releasing His love!