Remember One Thing

For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself.
- Galatians 5.14

It always comes back to this simple thing. Not an easy thing, mind you, but simple. No matter how complex a situation gets, or how convoluted. I've read so many good books that get twisted and turned through complexities of drama and events. Epic stories are told and re-told and we go back to them countless times. They all point to truth - that love is a good that should always be displayed. It is stronger than any force, any leader, and any country. It is love that created the cosmos.

I suspect we all need constant reminders that we choose our actions and where our mind will be at every moment. We can choose to act selfishly with what we want all day and think of how we can better ourselves to beat others, or we can pray for others, encourage others, say kind things to others, and simply love others in various ways if we look outwardly. If we can reverse our inward directed looking, to an outward looking toward the good of others, our world would be a different place.

This chapter in Galatians is also where it talks about the fruits of the spirit, and the flesh vs spirit desires. This all goes hand-in-hand, for if our lives are producing good fruit (meaning- if we are focused on the good things of the spirit), we will be loving others well through everything we do. As we know, and have evidence of everyday all around us, the desires of the flesh are no good, and they produce reactions that consist of dark things like hate, violence, bitterness, jealousy, selfishness, etc. 

The fruits of the spirit have no law against them, and they can be displayed at any time. We can show love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and self-control any time, any where. We don't ever have to worry about it being a bad time. If what we intend is for good, we will be better equipped to keep those fleshy desires at a distance. We will be able to recognize when it's stirring and then focus on the spirit.

Jump into the truth that is much bigger than any of us, and see where it takes us.