Thought of the Day !!

Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.  No one has ever seen God.  But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love has been brought to full expression through us. – 1 John 4:11-12 (NLT)    

When John wrote "since God loved us that much", he was talking about verse 9 that reads "God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him."  What makes our religion different from others is that in others, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, etc, it is all about man searching for God.  But with Christianity, God actually searches for man.  He came to earth to seek the lost so that every man, woman, and child would be able know His love for them.  He loves us so much that He gave of Himself for us.  He was born into a cold world and died an even colder death.  And it was all out of His great love for us.

Since He loved us this much, the least we can do is love each other.  It is only then that God will reside in us.  If we have hate for people who are different; people of different color, people that think differently, people in our churches and outside of them, people who come from our own household, people in general, then we do not have God in us.  This is simply because God is love and where hate resides, God does not.  

Break down those barriers that separate you and whomever.  Forgive a friend.  Shake the hand of a stranger who may look or act different from you.  Speak to someone you normally wouldn't.  Smile at anyone today.  Let us allow the love of Christ to show through us so that others will know that we are different...that we are set apart...that we are with God and He is with us.  

In the love of Christ,

greg