Debt

Do you have debt? How much? $500? $500,000? Are you a Christian? Do you know that even if you owe no monetary debt you have a debt you can never pay?
Romans 13:8 tlb says "Pay ALL your debts except the debt of Love for others----never finish paying that!"
I think it is interesting how God gives us the command to pay all of our debts except for the debt of love we owe others. When I think of the word love I think of it as a verb. Something you do. I Corinthians chapter 13---the LOVE chapter, it's unattainable. We may get bits and pieces of it from time to time but we are never gonna get it and are never gonna get it all right. So why would God give us a debt that we can't pay when He Clearly commands us to pay ALL our debts except that one? I don't pretend to know this. One thought that comes to mind is we are infinitely selfish creatures. To love others is easy for some and most difficult for others. I believe each of us has been given a gift to love others as we draw on God's love for us.
I hear a lot of talk of Grace and how we don't have to add to the finished work of Christ. I believe that with all my heart however I also read in scripture we have a debt to pay----that we are commanded to never stop paying. Wow. Now that is convicting! I don't want to love my neighbors sometimes. It isn't convenient. It gets in the way of what I want to do and what I think I need to do.It takes time, you know?
I Corinthians 13 gives a great description of what Love is and isn't. I have a poster of it in my kitchen.
It says:
Love is Patient
Love is Kind
It does not want what belongs to others.
It does not brag.
It is not proud.
It is not rude.
It does not look out for its own interests.
It does not easily become angry.
It does not keep track of wrongs.
Love is not happy with evil.
But is full of Joy when the truth is spoken.
It Always protects.
It always trusts.
It always hopes.
It never gives up.
Love never fails.
How kind of God to give us our entire life to pay this debt. I know I am going to need a lifetime and then some!
Keep pressing in and keep looking up. If you do have monetary debt--get out of it as soon as possible so that you may become a slave to God and not to the lender.
And while you're at it---start today by loving your neighbor in a practical way. Figure out what that looks like for you and just do it. Remember the scripture that says to "Practice Hospitality" I believe "Practice Makes Progress" So practice hospitality and start practicing loving your neighbor. Do it today.