Love Does No Wrong

Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.
Romans 13:10 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/rom.13.10.NLT

Love doesn’t just “do no wrong to others” — it does kindness and mercy to others. Law keepers and law makers are focused on limiting the wrong doing to others, and reconciling when wrong is done. So following the law falls horribly short of fulfilling love — but love easily fulfills both the laws of men ands God’s law.

We can easily tell if we are not loving someone if we “wrong them”. But just because we feel justified and free from wronging someone — doesn’t mean that we have loved them. What if our goal truly was to love and show appreciation for each and every person we encounter today?

This morning, I met Wendell, the security guard and door man at my new job. He knew who I was when I walked in the door. And as I waited in the lobby for someone to come down to get me, I realized that he recognized and greeted every person by name as they entered the building — even though almost everyone was wearing masks. I realized how honored I felt that he knew my name, and I realized that he gets to honor people everyday in this way — welcoming them each by name into ther building. It inspired me.

I wonder how often I have overlooked honoring those who pass by me in life. I wonder how often I haven’t made the effort to know people close and personal enough to call them by name, to recognize them even with their masks on, etc. And I wonder how far that falls from loving them.

Lord, open my eyes to the value of each and every person that I encounter. Help me to build loving relationships with others where they might see you through me. Help me to set my eyes on love as the goal, not just upon a list of rules. Amen.