New Day, New Year, and New Beginnings - 31 Days of Fresh StartsSample

A New Commandment...

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
John 13:34-35 NKJV

In our pursuit of living in a new way or changing vocations or locations, love must be our ultimate driving force and pursuit. This is a new commandment Jesus is giving us. It must be very, very important to Him.

Yes, we are invited to continually nurture our love relationship with the Lord by taking time alone with Him, hearing His voice through His Word, and cultivating the sense of His felt presence. We must carefully honor Him with our whole being. This is the first and greatest commandment (Mark 12:28-30). Yet Jesus leads us to also pursue greater depths of His love for all people, and here, in our opening verse, those in His family. Doing this is just as essential and meaningful to Him (Mark 12:31)

I mean, really. Haven’t you known people who say they love the Lord Jesus but are the most bitter, critical, and not nice people you know? They are more interested in their opinion, selfishness, and being right at all costs. Are we one of these? The beloved disciple John reminds us of Jesus’ words: love must be the starting point, the pathway we trod, and the finish line of everything we do (1 John 2:9-11).

As we lay before His throne the new doors we are hoping for, let’s ask ourselves, at what cost will this be to others? Are we forging ahead with a lack of sensitivity for those around us? Who might be the most affected by our decisions? It could be helpful to prayerfully list the pros and cons of our desires with the Holy Spirit’s help. And yes, we must step out in faith when God is calling us to look past the con portion. However, is love the banner over our new thing? It’s time to ponder this question carefully.