Submitting One to Another

“We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19); 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another”(John 13:34-35);  “…in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others (Philippians 2:3b & 4); “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21).

Jesus told us to keep His command:

To love one another as He has loved us 

How do we love others the way Jesus loved us

We follow Jesus’ lead

Jesus stepped down from His exalted throne

And became a helpless baby 

to identify with us

Our fragilities

Our limitations

Jesus considered our needs

Laid down His own needs

Went on the cross to die for us

Jesus laid down His life because of His love for us

Jesus tells us to 

Also 

Love one another by

Laying down 

Our will

Our desires

Our mindset 

Our opinions

Our concerns

Our own wants

Our preferences

Our perspectives

Imagine 

Each of us 

Every single one of us

All of us

Choosing to

Lay down our own

Ideas

Opinions

Insistences

preferences

Self-righteousness

To serve others

To submit to one another

Not to participate in sin

Nor to condone sin

But submitting to one another when it has to do with

The methods

The means

Others’ preferences

As long as they do not conflict with God’s principles

To genuinely desire to 

Bring out 

Tease out

Seek out

Find out

the 

Ideas

Opinions

Preferences

Of others

Over our own

If every single one of us does this

The world would 

See the Gospel displayed 

In action

We would become

The Bible others read

We would become

The fragrance of Jesus others smell

The world would have to admit that

God is in our midst

Truly God is real

For they have

Seen

Tasted

Smelled

Witnessed

The love of Christ

In our lives

In our genuine and willing 

Submission 

To 

One another