Freely Speaking Audio Devotion

Welcome to Freely Speaking, an OHSOFREE devotional ministry where we share our hearts and trust God for transformation.

Susan Hales shares her thoughts on how loving God with all our strength can help us when we experience difficult relationships.

Our scripture is found in Mark 12:30: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30 NIV).

As Christians, shouldn't we all get along? We are supposed to love God and love our neighbor, right? But sometimes, in the church, we have conflicts, division, anger, manipulative behavior, and worse, even abuse.

I will never forget an argument with a sister in Christ during the pandemic. After a class at church, we had a difference of opinion on a controversial health matter. When she started screaming at me, I just walked away. Still, it left me with a mix of anger and sadness about what happened.

In John Chapter 13, Jesus displayed sacrificial love by washing his disciples' feet, including Judas, who would betray Him only a few hours later. After Judas left, Jesus told the remaining eleven disciples, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” John 13:34 in the New International Version.

Why was this command “new”? Because it refers to the New Covenant established by God through Jesus’s sacrifice for all people. It replaced the Old Covenant God established with the Israelites, dependent upon animal sacrifices, which were only a temporary substitute for Jesus.

Jesus made it clear that the mark of a Christian is loving His people as He loved us. Loving like Jesus glorifies God.

However, we cannot do this in our strength. Only by the power of the Holy Spirit can we love and support our fellow Christian brothers and sisters. When we love one another, we show that Jesus is the perfect example of God's love, even in this hostile and broken world.

Have you experienced struggle due to abuse or trauma within the church family? Share with us so we can pray for each other.

Thank you for joining us today. If you would like to learn more about OhSoFree Ministries, please visit us at www.ohsofreeministries.com/