What are your measurements?

Did you know that there are 525600 minutes in a year?   No, I didn't either, but I heard a song recently that was talking about how you measure a year of life.  Do you measure it in tears?  In the number of cups of coffee you have had? What about the number of sunsets you watched, or the number of runs you went on?  How do we use those precious minutes.  

In the last 12 months, things have been strange and we haven't been able to do the things we normally do, so do we measure the year by things we couldn't do?  

I think as Christians we need to measure our minutes by how we love.  How have you loved in the last hour, the last day or the last week?  Have you focussed on your own lack, your own issues or your own problems?   Are you a walking demonstration of God's love to mankind, or are we so self-absorbed that we are as grumpy and selfish as those that don't know the Lord.

Jesus told us that it was by our love for one another that we would be recognizable as his disciples, and he commanded us to love each other just as he loved us. 

How did he love us?  By willingly laying down everything he was.   The verse above says that there is no greater love than to lay down one's life for your friends, but did you know that word 'life' isn't BIOS; its not referring to you physical life, but it is from the Greek word 'Psyche' which refers to our own soul - our mind, our will, and our emotions. It's more about laying down our own desires than it is about simply dying for someone, though in Jesus' case that was a part of it too.  Jesus literally laid down heaven for a season, he laid down his equality with God to become human, he laid down his desire to not suffer, for the joy that was set before him.

God's kind of love calls us to be patient and kind.  To not keep an account when we have been wronged.  To bear one another's burdens, to cry with one another, to pray for each other and so on.  

So today my challenge to you is this. 2021 will be made up of 525600 minutes.  Assuming you will sleep for 175,200 minutes, that leave you 350,400 minutes in which you can do good things, bad things or nothing.  How will you measure your year?  

How can we practically demonstrate our love for people?   And I'm not talking about simply running through motions, but how do we really allow God's love flow through us today?  

Maybe we start by praying for someone?  Maybe reach out and give someone a call, or a text or an email.   Maybe write a letter?  What about those people you know are struggling financially?  Or who are alone?  Ask God to help you see people with his eyes, his love and know how to show that to those around you. 

Happy Saturday.