Pop’s Lessons— Part Twenty Four

Last updated on: May 28, 2022 at 1:30 am by Ben Witherington

Pop’s Lessons— Part Twenty Four 2022-04-08T12:16:12-04:00 Ben Witherington

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6/19/1977

The Infallible Law of Love

The soul of life is love. Love is the fulfilling of the Law. Paul said that without love, we are nothing, but love never fails. Life has no purpose or meaning without love. Love is a cosmic law. Move along with it and the universe will be on your side, in other words, you will become a partner with God. Love is indispensable to the fullness of life. Get love into your life or you will be out of tune with the infinite. Science has concluded that love can prevent mental illness, that it is very fundamental in developing healthy human beings, physically and spiritually. The innate nature of the human being requires love in order to grow normally and live well. We finally discover the ancient truth that Jesus expressed when he said ”’love your enemies.” The encouraging thing is that scientists at last are emphasizing the Golden Rule as the only sensible way to live. A poet and scientist said–‘love is a fire in whose devouring flames all earthly ills are consumed.’ It is almost unbelievable how love will neutralize malice and evils of all kinds. Love in the consciousness reforms, revitalizes, uplifts and heals. The rich and unlimited power of God comes to us when we love.

However, loving people does not mean we have to condone wrong or sentimentalize faults into virtues. We don’t help people by being doormats for them to step on. In order to love people you don’t necessarily have to love what they do. Love can be expressed in discipline and constructive severity which is quite different than hatred. Softness or easiness is not always in tune with love. In Proverbs 3.12 we read, ‘whom the Lord loves, he corrects’. Firmness, honesty and sometimes even force can make love effective–wrongs should be righted. But hating is like burning down your house to get rid of a rat. It is so easy to get into the habit of being angry, vindictive, miffed, provoked, and peeved, and these can poison our souls.

The insane asylums are full of people who indulged in hate and wrath until it warped their minds (e.g Lady MacBeth). When we scan our lives, we will realize that the moments that have been most satisfying are those when we have tried to help someone in the spirit of love, beyond the transient and temporary pleasures of life, the little kindnesses we have been able to do for people really stand out as the most pleasing experiences in your life. What deep joy and blessing come into our souls when we go out of our way to lend a helping hand. It means so much to speak the kind word, to give the smile of friendship, the gracious handshake. We can pray for God’s peace and power to come to depressed people we know. We can wish God’s forgiveness to sin-burdened people Perhaps we need to stop feeling our own spiritual pulses and drown our petty worries in a sea of service to those around us. Love is the doorway through which the human soul passes from selfishness to service, and from solitude to kinship with all humankind and with God. There is a reason the Bible says God is love.

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May 27, 2022

Pop's Lessons-- Part Twenty Three

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May 29, 2022 Pop's Lessons-- Part Twenty Five

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