Acting Like We Love Each Other!

This morning I am reflecting on a few verses from Paul's Letter to the Ephesians 4:1-7,11-13 NIV:

[1] "As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. [2] Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. [3] Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. [4] There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called ; [5] one Lord, one faith, one baptism; [6] one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."

[7] "But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it."

[11] "So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, [12] to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up [13] until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."

What an excellent set of verses to read, reflect and embrace.  We are called to love one another, as Christ loved us, and as such Paul's encouragements in the following verses, lay out nicely what that looks like.  We are called to humility, gentleness, patience, loving endurance, and peace!  If we just dealt with each other with the idea that we were one big loving family, we would hopefully experience more life, joy, and peace.  Imagine if we treated one another and everyone as if we loved them!  What if we treated them as if they were our favorite person??

I am reminded of a story Therese of Lisieux tells of herself, from her Autobiography, "The Story of a Soul":

"A holy nun of our community annoyed me in all that she did; the devil must have had something to do with it, and he it was undoubtedly who made me see in her so many disagreeable points. I did not want to yield to my natural antipathy, for I remembered that charity ought to betray itself in deeds, and not exist merely in the feelings, so I set myself to do for this sister all I should do for the one I loved most. Every time I met her I prayed for her, and offered to God her virtues and merits. I felt that this was very pleasing to Our Lord, for there is no artist who is not gratified when his works are praised, and the Divine Artist of souls is pleased when we do not stop at the exterior, but, penetrating to the inner sanctuary He has chosen, admire its beauty." 

"I did not rest satisfied with praying for this Sister, who gave me such occasions for self-mastery, I tried to render her as many services as I could, and when tempted to answer her sharply, I made haste to smile and change the subject, for the Imitation says: “It is more profitable to leave everyone to his way of thinking than to give way to contentious discourses.” And sometimes when the temptation was very severe, I would run like a deserter from the battlefield if I could do so without letting the Sister guess my inward struggle."" 

"One day she said to me with a beaming face: “My dear Soeur Thérèse, tell me what attraction you find in me, for whenever we meet, you greet me with such a sweet smile.” Ah! What attracted me was Jesus hidden in the depths of her soul— Jesus who maketh sweet even that which is most bitter."

I found this story quite amusing, when I first read it, as it reveals the true heart of St. Therese, desiring to treat all with humility, love, patience, and gentleness, but struggling mightily to do so, with this particular nun. She chose to treat her as if she were her favorite, and in the end the sister thought that she was Therese's favorite!  Oh that all we meet would think that we loved them!

Continuing on, Paul reminds us that Christ gave to us grace that was meant to be used to build up the body!   We should all be concerned about the maturity of the Body of Christ, of those relationships and commitments amongst ourselves.  We should realize that there are those that are called to help us to grow and mature, and become one.  We must have a bigger perspective than our own needs and wants, but instead look to the greater Body of Christ, desiring that we walk in the whole measure of the fullness of Christ Jesus, which we are far from realizing yet.

We are called love one another, as Christ Jesus loves us (John 13:34).  This loving concern, this gentle and humble care, this loving endurance, this peace and forgiveness, this every effort is how we build each other up, how we bear witness to the world that we are followers of Jesus!

Lord, help us all!  Lord, help us to treat each other as if each was the one we loved most!