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Love one another as I have loved you

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PeterJens

God bless you
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"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."
John 13:34

This may seem an odd connection to make, but I was recently interested in co-dependency relationships verses caring relationships. You may ask yourself is this important, it is not religious, but rather psychological etc.

But I have observed something that always struck me as wrong. The idea is serving God out of duty and not from the heart, where the cost is moaned about constantly and the problems involved in doing so much work. Why there is a connection is because in the world of caring the same thing happens. A carer can burn out with the burden of caring, while another carer is a joy to be with, and is full of energy and empowerment to the one being cared for.

The difference put into attitudes was that of a caretaker of a broken vessel, and a care giver who was empowering another deal with the problems of the day. The caretaker dictates what should or should not be done, and puts in place the rules and boundaries and work which they must carry alone, because the cared for individual is incapable of this, and just needs this endless support, which is never enough.

One real sign of a care giver is they keep themselves well and healthy, knowing their limits and what support they can offer, and respects and desires to enable the cared of individual achieve their needs. The care giver gives out of the fullness of their hearts freely and with joy, knowing their fullness overflows, so are not drained, but give from their excess.
The care givers view is their empowerment will uplift the cared for to a new place, with optimism and reality, not as a burden with an impossible end sucking the life out of them.

Jesus was a care giver, always being careful to focus His efforts from the fullness of His heart, seeking a quiet place to recharge and refocus, to open the door for others, to grow in life and possibilities.

These are powerful differences. One is planting a word that grows into a massive tree, the other is caretaking a wreck knowing it will fall and decay into ruin, but with infinite effort this could maybe temporarily put off. One empowers the cared for person, the other takes away their abilities and puts them as dependent on the caretaker to look after them, to a degree they could not survive without the caretaker.

So I see from this as Jesus is the ultimate care giver, so should we be out of the fullness of our hearts, and find that liberation to share in victory and grace, not defeat and obligation.

God bless you
 
Great Post. I use to work as a care giver in group homes for the mentally challenged and it was my goal to see that they met their life goals working with them to achieve the best of their potential. It could be aggravating at times, but when you see the end result it is so worth the work you put into something like this.

It's still Jesus's end goal to continue the works He started using us a a vessel of honor He works through to help meet the end goal of salvation for others. Just like Jesus, give time for rest as in humans, burn out can happen very quickly.
 
Thanks.. it was not till He was about to leave that He told them where I am going they could not come. I have heard so many times from believer that will say "if we love Jesus we obey Him/obey His word". Praise God that is a truth. The thing is how do you love someone you don't know? See again Jesus was about to leave and they were with Him for years day and night. They knew Him , they loved Him.

Its this love His love that we have for each other. Other as in believers/followers of Christ so that when the world sees it ... well He said it best "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”


I was about to say its all Him.. yet again the song perfect timing "it is you".
 
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