Skip to main content

The Resemblance of Love

Last October, there was excitement among royal watchers as Princess Charlotte delighted the crowds in Canada with a rare public appearance. The toddler princess showed off her walking and even some dancing on her first royal engagement during William and Kate’s tour of Canada.


This excited the tabloid media who quickly informed us that the little girl bears a striking resemblance to her great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II. We were treated to photographs of the Queen when she was the same age as Charlotte. One newspaper said Charlotte has a cheeky grin like her great-granny.

 The media often finds news where it does not exist. It is surely not a surprise that Princess Charlotte resembles her great-granny because they are related! Those who belong to the same family resemble one another. What is true for our physical family is also true for our spiritual family. Those who belong to God resemble God. Here is how John puts it:
By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practise righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother [1 John 3:10]
Just like Princess Charlotte and her great-granny, those of us who share the same spiritual relationship with God resemble God by not living in sin and not not practising hatred. God cannot live in you and you continue a lifestyle of sin and hatred towards other believers. Change must happen to you!

God generally commands us love everyone, but here John focuses on loving fellow followers of Jesus (“his brother”). Why does John narrow it down to loving followers of Jesus? Because John’s main point is that if we are children of God then we are a new spiritual family who must love those who share the same Father! We are a family, so we must let it show!

May be you have been hurt badly by another follower of Jesus. If you are honest you have read 1 Corinthians 13, and you know deep in your heart you carry bitterness, animosity and hatred towards others. You are failing to obey God in this area. The answer to your predicament is to recognise that hatred is not who you are. God now lives in your heart. So confess that sin to God and allow God to transform you and use that difficult situation to make you more like Him.

Copyright © Chola Mukanga 2017
Labels:

Comments

Post a comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Prayer of Anselm

Come now, little man, turn aside for a while from your daily employment. Escape for a moment from the tumult of your thoughts. Put aside your weighty cares. Let your burdensome distractions wait. Free yourself awhile for God and rest awhile in him.  Enter the inner chamber of your soul. Shut out everything except God and that which can help you in seeking him. And when you have shut the door, seek him.  Now, my whole heart, say to God, ‘I seek your face, Lord, it is your face I seek. ANSELM OF CANTERBURY
Post a comment
KEEP READING →

A Faith of Contradictions

I want a faith that can fully credit contradictions, and that can prove the darkest night to be perfectly light, and the greatest of trials to be perfectly right, and to be evidences of unbounded love. Yea, I want a faith that can fully rely upon a promise with a rational prospect of the promise being fulfilled...I thirst, pant and groan, for the faith of which Christ is the Author and Finisher. WILLIAM GADSBY  William Gadsby was a 19th Century  Particular Baptist who experienced acute sufferings in his home life which exerted a heavy burden on his faith and ministry. He ministered for 25 years while nursing his wife, who suffered with acute mental illness.  Gadsby died before his wife did and before she gave most encouraging signs of not having lost the faith she embraced as a girl, the faith Gadsby had been so confident that the Lord would preserve in her.  The strain for him, though, was at times unbearable, as her illness led her to erratic and destructive behaviour, including atta
Post a comment
KEEP READING →

Jesus Never Fails

Many a times in my life, the words of this childhood hymn has been a tremendous encouragement. I pray this may encourage you too. Keep looking to Jesus! Jesus never fails, Jesus never fails The man of the world will let you down, but Jesus never fails. Your mother will let you down Your father will let you down The man of the world will let you down, but Jesus never fails. Your husband will let you down Your wife will let you down The man of the world will let you down, but Jesus never fails Your brothers will let you down Your sisters-will let you down The man of the world will let you down, but Jesus never fails Your church will let you down Your work will let you down The man of the world will let you down, but Jesus never fails Your friends will let you down Your country will let you down The man of the world will let you down, but Jesus never fails Your wealth will let you down Your health will let you down The man of the world
Post a comment
KEEP READING →