The Bible says: ¹⁷ Love your spiritual family. This is one of the easier assignments in the Bible, or so I thought at first, until I gave it a bit more thought.

At the business, we had to provide a special window for a school. These were very unique windows and not part of our standard range. Designing and producing a non-standard product takes a lot of time and energy. Of course, this also drives costs through the roof.

I discussed and agreed on it with the contractor, but when it was time to settle the bill, he gave me the run-around. Eventually, I went to see the architect. He was also a child of the Lord; we carry the same package. He would understand.

But no luck there either. Thousands of rands down the drain. This hurt a lot, because when you run a business, you are usually last in line when salaries are paid. When there is no money to share, a bonus or even something more gets cut.

Do you see why I say it is not always so easy to serve your Christian brother or sister with a package of “no matter what” love? When a brother or a sister kicks you in the teeth, the claws come out.

It’s human.

To give love means to sacrifice something. Sometimes under duress. Linda (not her real name) tells this beautiful story of her mother. Self-sacrificing love with a beautiful ending:

“My mother, Cora, was born in 1921. She was the eldest of nine children. They grew up on a farm in the Overberg.

One morning, very early, a farm woman came to my Grandpa and Grandma’s house. The woman told my grandma that her son was leaving for Worcester early the next morning by train. She asked if Grandma didn’t have a jacket for her son to wear. It was getting cold in the mornings. Grandma told her to wait a little while until her eldest son came back from the milking shed.

When Gerhard came home, his mother (my grandmother) said to him: “Gerhard, please take off your jacket and give it to the woman.”

Gerhard said: “Mommy, and what about tomorrow morning if I have to go out in the cold at 4:00 to milk the cows?” Grandma just said: “Gerhard, the Lord will provide.”

Gerhard took off his jacket and gave it to the woman. She thanked Grandma profusely and left with the jacket for her son.

Later that same afternoon, friends came to visit Grandma, bringing a bag full of jackets. They had cleared their wardrobes and decided to take the jackets they no longer used to my grandmother. Each of her five sons received a jacket as a gift. Grandma was overflowing with joy. Grandma gave the son’s only jacket to the boy who had to go to Worcester by train and the Lord saw to it that her five sons each received a jacket.”

A jacket of sacrificial love. Yes, we must love and be loyal. God will provide somewhere along the way!

Scripture
1 Peter 2:13-17

Reflection
Has someone kicked you in the teeth?
How can you love them again?
How does one live love?

Prayer
Father, I know I should love everyone, but self-sacrificing love is no easy task. Holy Spirit, please help me to be charitable and think of others before I think of my own needs. I ask this in Jesus’ Name. Amen.