Biting, Devouring or Loving?

Scripture:

Galatians 5:13-15 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. (14) The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (15) If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

Observation:

Paul distinguishes between freedom to sin and freedom to serve. Freedom or license to sin is no freedom at all, because it enslaves you to Satan, others, or your own sinful nature. Christians, by contrast, should not be slaves to sin, because they are free to do right and to glorify God through loving service to others.

When we believers lose the motivation of love, we become critical of others. We stop looking for good in them and see only their faults. Soon we lose our unity. Have you talked behind someone's back? Have you focused on others' shortcomings instead of their strengths? Remind yourself of Jesus' command to love others as you love yourself.

Matthew 22:35-39 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: (36) "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" (37) Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' (38) This is the first and greatest commandment. (39) And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

When you begin to feel critical of someone, make a list of that person's positive qualities. When problems need to be addressed, confront in love rather than gossip. It really is pretty simple. You can BITE, DEVOUR, or LOVE. I choose love!

Application:

"Through love serve one another"
(Galatians 5:13). This is what Jesus meant when He said we would save our lives by losing them. If we give our life in love to others we will find it. "But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!"
(Galatians 5:15).

Here is the losing and finding of life in a person. Marian Preminger was born in Hungary in 1913, raised in a castle with her aristocratic family, surrounded by maids, tutors, governesses, butlers, and chauffeurs. Her grandmother, who lived with them, insisted that whenever they traveled, they take their own linen, for she believed it was beneath their dignity to sleep between sheets used by common people.

While attending school in Vienna, Marian met a handsome young Viennese doctor. They fell in love, eloped, and married when she was only eighteen. The marriage lasted only a year and she returned to Vienna to begin her life as an actress.

While auditioning for a play, she met the brilliant young German director, Otto Preminger. They fell in love and soon married. They went to America soon thereafter, where he began his career as a movie director. Unfortunately and tragically, Hollywood is a place of dramatic illustrations of people "biting, devouring, and consuming" one another. Marian was caught up in the glamour, lights, and superficial excitement and soon began to live a sordid life. When Preminger discovered it, he divorced her.

She returned to Europe to live the life of a socialite in Paris. In 1948 she learned through the newspaper that Albert Schweitzer, the man she had read about as a little girl, was making one of his periodic visits to Europe and was staying at Günsbach. She phoned his secretary and was given an appointment to see Dr. Schweitzer the next day. When she arrived in Günsbach she discovered he was in the village church playing the organ. She listened and turned the pages of music for him. After a visit he invited her to have dinner at his house. By the end of the day she knew she had discovered what she had been looking for all her life. She was with him every day thereafter during his visit, and when he returned to Africa he invited her to come to Lambarene and work in the hospital.

She did-and she found herself. There in Lambarene, the girl who was born in a castle and raised like a princess, who was accustomed to being waited on with all the luxuries of a spoiled life, became a servant. She changed bandages, bathed babies, fed lepers … and became free. She wrote her autobiography and called it All I Ever Wanted Was Everything. She could not get the "everything" that would satisfy and give meaning until she could give everything. When she died in 1979, the New York Times carried her obituary, which included this statement from her: "Albert Schweitzer said there are two classes of people in this world-the helpers, and the non-helpers. I'm a helper."

What an example and application of Christ like love!

Prayer:

"Love, forgive me for the times I have chose to "bite and devour" instead of love. It is so much easier to tear someone down than it is to lift them up. At least it is to my flesh. That is why I choose to die to my flesh today. I crucify my flesh. I refuse to "bite and devour". I refuse to "backbite" I refuse to gossip. I refuse to whisper against anyone. I refuse to allow an ungodly words to come out of my mouth. I refuse to allow any ungodly attitudes to lead my life. I will love instead of biting and devouring...with Your Holy Spirit's help. In Jesus' name, amen!"