03 03 08 Now What

Now one of the experts in the law came and heard them debating. When he saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is: ‘Listen, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
(Mark 12:28-31)

So many programs…so many ministries…so many needs and people who need us. So once a person believes in Jesus as Lord and Savior, NOW WHAT? What does a Christian do to please God? What program do we join? To whom do we give? How do we serve? Is there a magic formula for effective ministry? What is that God really wants from His children…His Church? It’s 2008…NOW WHAT?

The answer is the same as the words Jesus used some 2000 years ago when the experts asked Him: "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" LOVE! Love God…love on people! The first four of the Ten Commandments deal with our relationship with God. Six through ten deal with our relationship with others. Jesus summed them up with two. Jesus was not trying to confuse anyone! Now that we know Christ, we are to love. Everything we do should reflect our love and devotion for Christ and a compassion for people.

No act of kindness, gift to a charity, or kind word or deed done without genuine love is really worth it. Paul stated that without love, nothing is really worth it (1 Corinthians 13). God is love and His people need to do everything through the motivation of love and compassion, and with passion. Superficial and mechanical actions are simply not worth the effort!

“Don’t just pretend that you love others. Really love them.”
(Romans 12: 9 NLT)

So here we are; saved from eternal hell, secured by the Holy Spirit of God, sanctified to do good works to honor our Lord: NOW WHAT?

Since God so loved…we sow love; with every breath we take and every ounce of energy we have left!