SCRIPTURE
“…I am not writing you a new command, but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love; that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.” 2 John 5-6 NIV
SPOTLIGHT
Do you know how to “love one another”? Jesus said, “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.” [John 13:34,35.] How good are you at fulfilling this command?
When the Apostle John wrote 2 John, one of his main purposes was to establish how important it was for Christians to love one another. In his first letter to his friends, he had mentioned these words no less than 5 times. [See 1 John 3:11, 23; 4:7,11,12.] Now, in his second letter, he was compelled by the Holy Spirit to again remind them to love one another.
A believer is never to “put up” with other believers, ignore them, pretend to like them, or dislike them. He/she is to express to the unbelieving world, a testimony of love, which is seen in behavior. Harmony, peace, respect, joy, kindness, service, care, sharing and equality are to be very evident. John wrote, “Dear children, let us not love with words, or speech, but with actions and in truth.” [1 John 3:18.]
Just how good are you at fulfilling this commandment to, “love one another”? You need to LOVE LIKE A GOOSE. Perhaps you have seen geese symmetrically flying through the sky. Christians can learn some valuable lessons from their habits.
Flying in a “V” formation decreases the wind drag for all, but the lead goose. The uplift of the wings of the lead bird in front make it easier for the flock to fly long distances. Christians can learn from this. Loving one another means working together for the good of all and not just yourself. Far more is accomplished when we work together, rather than acting individually. Jesus Christ created His Church to be an expression of people of all positions, color, background, and size, to share the goal of glorifying God and winning the people to become followers. Working together in harmony is a strong expression of love to a very divided world.
When flying together in “V” formation, the lead goose will drop back into the flock to rest and another goose will take its place as the leader. Christians can learn that it pays to take turns doing the hard jobs lest some become, “weary in well doing.” A willingness to serve is a strong expression of loving one another. Stepping up and saying, “I’ll be glad to take a turn when you get tired,” demonstrates a respect and kindness flowing from a heart filled with Christ’s love
Paul wrote about this in Galatians 5:13, which says, “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly, in love.”
Seasoned goose observers have also noticed that when a goose becomes ill, or is wounded and falls out of formation, two others will fall out with him/her to nurse and help in recovery until that weaker goose is able to join another flock. What a lesson Christians can learn from this. Bearing one another’s burdens is how Paul described it. Galatians 6:2,3 states, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.” Rather than condemning believers who trip and fall, we need to love and nurse them back to wholeness. This is a picture of forgiving love, and standing by one another no matter what.
It is believed that a great deal of encouragement is being expressed in the sky, when you hear the geese honking. Geese are cheering on the lead goose and the others closer to the front, about the great progress the flock is making. The Bible says in, 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” Encouragement is a very strong expression of love and not having envy, or jealousy.
Geese express loyalty by mating for life. In addition, they express purpose/goals by migrating north and south, in order to live healthy during the changing seasons. Loyalty and purpose are strong expressions of caring for one another. Christians are called to unconditionally love and pursue goals that will bring honor to Christ and those around.
When God created geese, He gave to you a very clear and strong illustration as to how to love other people. Now you need to practice how to LOVE LIKE A GOOSE! Working together, serving, caring, encouraging, loyalty and purpose are strong expressions of loving one another. As John put it in the Scripture passage above, you need to walk in love, not just talk about love.
SOMETHING TO DO
Check out all the “love one another” passages mentioned above in, 1 John 3 and 4. Ask yourself what these verses are teaching about how to live a life that is a Christlike expression of His love.
SOUL TIME PRAYER
Heavenly Father, I cannot forget that You expressed the greatest love for me when You sent Your Son, Jesus Christ to earth, to become my Savior. I would ask that the Holy Spirit teach me how to “love one another…” I must confess that even the geese do a better job at this than I do. Give me a piece of Your loving heart so that the world may be drawn to Your Son, Jesus. AMEN!