Love One Another

Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. -- Romans 13:8 (KJV)

There was a big lottery win not too long ago.  In the days leading up to the big prize there were a lot of people who talked about using their imagined winnings for getting out of debt.  Apart from financial debts what kind of debts are you running up in life?  From this verse it could be implied that you incur a debt whenever you do anything but love your neighbor.  We come into the world debt-free.  We owe nobody anything.  A child is baptized, then raised in the ways they should go.  They grow up and somewhere in all that innocent (debt-free) children grow into adults who are cynical, skeptical, hurt and hurtful, vengeful, uncharitable, cold and mean -- racking up tremendous debts of sin, shame, and guilt.  Even if these adults are successful in killing off their consciences and all sense of the Holy the debts pile up.  Paul tells the Romans, "Quit racking up the toll to human dignity and respect, and just love others as you love yourself."  I John says, "We love as He first loved us." (I John 4:19)  And further, "Children, let us not love with word, nor with tongue, but in deed and in truth. (I John 1:3)  

When we think of the only debt we have is to love it sounds tremendously simple.  Easier said than done.  Yet, it is a worthwhile and noble endeavor to attempt always to love.  Whenever we love others the debt of meanness in the world gets paid down.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, perfect our ability to love others in deed and truth.  Give us the strength to pursue the debt-free life.  In Christ's love who loved us completely.  Amen.