Devotion

What is God’s greatest command?

This week in chapel with Foundation W and devotions we have been and will be finding out about what this is all about.

Jesus asks us to love just as he loves us. It really is though, an impossible thing to do. How can we love so unconditionally, especially when our children perhaps behave the way they do sometimes, or when someone wrongs me? Love is mentioned in the Bible over 300 times so clearly it is a vital part of how Christ wants us to live our lives. 

Jesus puts an apron on authority. It just seems that the way Jesus lived was so upside down. He washed his disciple’s feet (usually done by a servant). He says the first shall be last. He tells of the tiny mustard seed so small, yet it turns out to be an amazing tree. 

Jesus gives us a command in John 13 – “A new command I give you: … As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” It’s quite simple really. We just need to show love. Love our friends, our neighbours, complete strangers and even those that do us wrong. He doesn’t want us to hold onto the negative but wants us to be happy and loving and to continually show that. We need to apply that upside down, back to front approach that Jesus led. Help when we feel hurt, love when it is hard (even when your child does the opposite) and lead a life that shows love. 

Be the Good Samaritan when you need to be. Istanbul is a fascinating city, and Turkey would be one of my favourite places to visit for many reasons. My first day though was not such an easy one. My wife and I arrived just before midnight from London and took a taxi to Sultanahmat, which is the older part of the city right in central Istanbul. This is where all the ancient tourist sites are but is also a bit of a rough area. The taxi driver eventually dropped us off, pointed and said, “Head that way!”  2-3 exhaustive and scary hours later we were eventually dropped off by the police at our hotel. We were approached numerous times by all sorts of people in main streets and side alleys. Each one of them wanted to help! It was amazing. Many were no help at all, but it was the thought that counted and the love of wanting to help a stranger.

God says love one another so find a way to love your family that extra bit special, love a person in need and do it with the thought that this is what Jesus wants you to do. 

Yes, there is a reason that the word love is mentioned so often in the Bible.

Blessings, 

Tim Kriewaldt

Deputy Principal