Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.”
NL Daily Devotion for Saturday, July 20, 2024
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
This depends on our attitude, I think. God’s commandments—to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbors as ourselves—don’t sound too hard. But as we’ve been delving into what love actually means, and our identity as God’s beloved children and of love itself, it’s become clear that these commandments aren’t easy. They bang up against our outsized desire for self-preservation or esteem or security and we have to work—sometimes pretty hard—to set these things aside in order to live into our call.
What helps me are daily spiritual practices, most of which stem from my recovery community. I read recovery literature and write a reflection on it every day. I pray and meditate. I write a minimum of five gratitudes each day. When fears or resentments crop up, I have tools to work through them with God’s help. I make amends as soon as I recognize where I’ve blown it with someone in some way. Taken together, these spiritual practices (and others) are about surrendering my will and my life to the care of God, and being open to what the next right action is. These “next right actions” are always born out of love—for God, for neighbor, or for self (in the healthy way)—and thus I can practice myself into loving behavior.
I don’t do this perfectly. I have to use those tools on resentments and fears more than I’d like. I have to make amends now and then (far, far less than I used to) and it’s a good reminder to stay humble. But in all, it really is a design for living that works under all circumstances. Thus, I can adjust my attitude to truly believe that God’s commandments are not burdensome, but, in fact, can be a transformational joy.
What practices in my daily life help me to frame God’s call to love others in the best possible way?
