John 13:34-35 NIV “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
📺 SGBC Church Retreat ESC Recap Video
I’ve watched this video, created by one of the ESC teens with contributions from various people, countless times. It truly brings me joy and gratitude to see our ESC brothers and sisters mingling across generations in love and fun! The church retreat provided a wonderful platform for our ESC community to deepen their connections and learn to love one another in Christ, as Jesus commanded. I pray that our ESC community continues to grow in faith and love of Christ, recognizing the signs from God and seizing the opportunities to bless many others along the journey together.
This Bible verse is very familiar to all of us: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31 NIV)
The first part of this commandment, “Love God,” serves as the cornerstone of our Christian faith. We are to place God at the center of our lives, fostering a deep, personal relationship with the Lord. Loving God involves more than mere ritualistic practices; it requires heartfelt devotion and a commitment to aligning our lives with the heart and will of Jesus. We love God through prayer, worship, obedience to His will, and loving others. By nurturing this relationship, we find a source of wisdom, strength, guidance, and peace that helps us face the challenges of our everyday lives.
The second part, “Love People,” naturally flows from the first. We can't say we love God, whom we can't see, if we don't love people whom we can see (1 John 4:20). This commandment emphasizes our connection to each other and the need to treat everyone with kindness, respect, and compassion. Loving people means recognizing everyone’s value and dignity, regardless of their background, beliefs, or actions. It involves being empathetic, understanding, and willing to serve others selflessly. This love extends to family, friends, strangers, and even enemies (Matthew 5:44).
The brilliance of the “Love God, Love People” commandment lies in their interconnection. Loving God helps us truly and genuinely love others. Experiencing God’s unconditional love changes us, making it easier to share that love with those around us. Similarly, loving others shows our love for God. By caring for others, we honour God and reflect His steadfast love in the world. As the recipients of God’s blessings, touched by the Great Blesser, let us be moved to take those blessings to B.L.E.S.S. others.
We're living in a world that keeps breakin'
But if we want to find the way to change it
It all comes down to this
Love God and love people