Day 20 – Treat Everyone Like Jesus~ Julie Earl

Galatians 4:12-16

¹² I plead with you, brothers and sisters, become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong. ¹³ As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you, ¹⁴ and even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. ¹⁵ Where, then, is your blessing of me now? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. ¹⁶ Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?

Julie’s Nugget

When Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment, He said: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Mark 12:30-31). He said this because if we love God and receive His love for us, that love will flow over to everyone else.

Paul was experiencing that incredible love from the Galatians. Even though he was sick, and his illness was a trial, they treated him with the same honor, respect and love as if he were an angel or Jesus Himself. They loved him so much that he knew they would have sacrificed their eyes for him if they could have.

To Consider

Who are the people in your life? Are you treating them with love, honor and respect? Are you sacrificing your desires to see their desires fulfilled? Are you sacrificing your time to make them feel as important as Jesus? We aren’t called to be doormats, but we are called to be lovers. We are called to prefer others above ourselves. Sometimes this is easy to do with strangers, but challenging when it comes to family and close friends.

I fall short in this area with my husband. I make his breakfast, help pack his lunch, make his dinner and clean his house and clothes, but I often forget to find extra ways to love and honor him. I get busy and don’t take time to make him feel like the most important person in the world.

Prayer

“Father, you love us sacrificially, intensely and completely. Give us the umph, grace and power to love the people in our world sacrificially, intensely and completely. Help us become intentional and aggressive in our love so that everyone we are with feels like the most honored person in the world – our spouses, our children, our parents, our siblings, our friends – everyone! May our words and actions ooze with your love in everything we say and do. Amen!”

Have fun as you love with God’s crazy, awesome love,

Julie Earl

[All scripture taken from the New International Version. Bold lettering mine.]