Mentoring Minutes – Page 52 – Love and Lordship

Submit To One Another

I love how God, in His Word, makes it so clear how we are to love “one another” in all the different ways, both in what we are to do and to avoid! This command today may be my favorite because I believe it lays the foundation for all truly loving relationships within The Body of Christ. Beyond that the next several verses in this text focus on marriage and family as the highest of human relationships and gives the reasons for it.

However this may also be the most difficult of all the “one another” commands?!?

This “one another” is found in Ephesians 5:21 and simply, yet profoundly states, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” This lays the foundation for every other good relationship follows Christ’s teaching when it comes to love and submission. We must begin with our love, humility and reverence for The Lord (the First and Greatest Command) and then out of the overflow of His love in us and our love for Him, we choose to humbly submit to one another as we’ve already learned to submit to and honor (revere) Him as Lord.

This “one another” governs all other relationships from personal and intimate in marriage, to parenting, family, church and government, including even how we relate in the workplace (see Ephesians 5:22-6:9)

So when you’re struggling in your relationships (marriage, parenting, family, friends, etc.), do you stop and consider whether or not you’re first submitting to and honoring Christ? If you’re not I promise you your lack of love, humility and honor will show up with all others…and usually it begins with those closest to you…spouse, children and family.

Let’s practice submitting first to The Lord so we can better learn to humbly submit and love one another in the same way.

“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” This is the key to all good and loving relationships. Let’s commit to doing this in our walk with Him, in our marriages and families and in His Church so the world can see His Love. If we don’t truly honor and love God we will never really love and honor others. It is only from our true reverence and honor of Him that we ultimately love and honor one another!

Love and Lordship…Food for Thought – Do you submit your life in relationship to Christ in humility and out of honor for Him as Your Lord? If so, then you are likely growing in doing the same with others. If not, then you are probably struggling in all other relationships.

Love and Lordship…Action Item(s)

Spend time with Him in His Word and prayer daily – read and study the Scriptures in this post as a way to start.
Ask The Holy Spirit to teach you.
What comes to mind when you hear the words “submit” or “submission?”
How is the way you respond and react to the concept of submission working in your relationship with God and with others?

How to Speak to One Another

This “one another” is one that many, if not most, find a bit odd… at least to carry out. It is found in Ephesians 5:19, “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.”

I grew up in a singing family and early on loved to sing in churches, hit my middle school years and decided singing was not “cool.” As I matured I realized that singing and songs, hymns and psalms are such a blessing.

Now whether you choose to simply sing in the shower, in the car (and make people wonder), in the choir, a group or just along with others at church…remember another great command of Scripture…”Make a joyful noise unto The Lord, all the earth.” Psalm 100:1.

Don’t discount the value, beauty and the peace that comes with the singing of songs, hymns and spiritual songs. Someone has said that “music is the language of heaven.”

Now I don’t know about all music and I surely know that some music is not the language of heaven. However, there is an incredible amount of beautiful hymns, gospel songs, contemporary Christian songs and psalms that give praise and thanks to God, encourage, challenge and bless us and fill us with His Presence.

Why wouldn’t we want to follow through on this command?

After all, what you fill your mind and heart with is what you become. What better to fill it with than songs, hymns and spiritual songs?

Love and Lordship…Food for Thought – How do you respond, react and relate to others? What do you fill your mind and your mouth with? There is a connection so be careful to fill up with what is good in God’s Word, with spiritually uplifting songs…and share that with others as you speak with, sing to and relate to them! Christ is glorified when we do and others have the opportunity to know and/or grow in Him!

Love and Lordship…Action Item(s)

Spend time with Him in His Word and prayer daily – read and study the Scriptures in this post as a way to start.
Ask The Holy Spirit to teach you.
How is what you’re filling up your mind with impacting your relationships?
What needs to change today to be sure you’re responding and relating to others in the love of God in Christ?

Forgive One Another

Remember that our purpose in going through all these “one anothers” in Scripture is to fulfill the second part of the Second Greatest Command…”Love yourself (who you are in Christ) so you can love others as you love yourself.”

The “one anothers” teach us very clearly what loving our neighbors, i.e., all others looks like. With that said, the next “one another” is perhaps the most powerful and the most difficult one we will encounter…but that does not in any way excuse us from following through with this extremely important aspect of love.

Paul continues (from our previous command) in Ephesians 4:32 that we are to “…Forgive one another…just as in Christ, God forgave you.” Three simple yet profound words that will ultimately set the path for your life depending on whether you choose to obediently and lovingly follow through…or not.

I can’t tell you how many people that I’ve encountered, counseled, discipled and mentored that have been completely impacted by this command. The actual percentage is 100%. Either they have chosen not to forgive and have lived their entire life with the draining, fatiguing, overwhelming burden or unforgiveness that they think is actually making things better because of what someone else has done to them. Or they have chosen to forgive and lay down that excruciating burden of carrying someone else’s sin toward them (or the offense that they wrongly held toward another).

Someone has said the unforgiveness is like filling a syringe with poison to inject the other person and then injecting yourself with it. Forgiveness, on the other hand, is not only loving and fulfilling, it may be the most freeing thing that you can ever do.

If Christ can forgive each and every one of us, including you and me, and our sins against Him and all others we’ve sinned against, then we can certainly extend that same forgiveness to others.

One final thought on forgiveness that may help you understand the tremendous burden of unforgiveness…Matthew 6:14-15 states, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

That’s an incredible burden to bear, not only in this life but in the life to come. Don’t carry it around for one moment longer because Jesus has made it so you don’t have to!

Love and Lordship…Food for Thought – Who do you need to forgive today? What unforgiveness are you holding onto? Who do you need to ask forgiveness of today? I promise you that forgiving all others will free your heart and mind for all The Lord has in store for you…but you must truly forgive and let go.

Love and Lordship…Action Item(s)

Spend time with Him in His Word and prayer daily – read and study the Scriptures in this post as a way to start.
Ask The Holy Spirit to teach you.
Meditate on all that God has forgiven you in Christ…is there something you need to ask Him for forgiveness right now?
Is there someone, anyone, several that may have wronged you and you’ve not forgiven them? Write down names, pray and ask The Lord for humility and courage to forgive them right now, Today.
Is there anyone you need to ask for their forgiveness? Do it today.