Bridge

Bridge

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, my husband and I have burned a few bridges. Not with people, but with ideas we’d held too tightly. Religious acts that we’d placed above simply loving people.

We’ve burned bridges to old ideology we couldn’t support anymore after reading Scripture and actually trying to live it out. New conclusions were made, and growth happened.

And freedom has come. From expectations. From old ideas. From perspectives we’d turned into law and placed on others and ourselves, whether they believed the same things we did or not. And, although it’s still not perfect, we are loving others in a way we haven’t in the past. We’re accepting those around us, giving with no strings attached, and finding ourselves comfortable among those who have differing ideas from us. It’s not always been easy, but this new way of thinking and being has taught us more about God’s love for us and for everyone around us.

We need to be willing to build bridges to people. Whether they are Christian or not. To love them no matter what they think or believe, understanding that love does not mean we approve of everything someone else says or does. We need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit when he would ask us to build a bridge to people, even while burning a bridge to a former way of thinking that may not line up with the greatest commandment we were given by Jesus. Love God. Love people. It’s the simplest and easiest way to start to build a bridge to those around us.

Lord, help us to love you and love others in a way that shows them who you are. Help us to be bridge builders to those around us. Amen.

-Kendra

One Good Step: What (if any) old ideologies have you burned bridges to that don’t line up with Jesus’ greatest commandment? Who can you build a bridge to by showing them the love of God?