Mark 12:31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Life takes us from one ship to another. Childhood, adulthood, parenthood and grandparenthood takes us to different “ships” – sonship, studentship, courtship, marriage relationship and friendships. The hardships sometimes turn our ‘ship’ into battleships and we are forced to unship or reship; however, “worship” will turn a warship into comradeship.
Jesus condensed the 613 Mosaic laws and the ten commandments into two commandments – Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbour as you love yourself. Jesus concealed our relationship with the unseen God in conjunction with our relationships with the “hoods”. Our relationship with the unseen God is refined, fine-tuned and tested by our relationship with the brotherhood and the neighbourhood.
Abraham’s faith was challenged by the barrenness of his wife for almost 8 decades. If we assume that Abraham married Sarah when he was 20, the couple had to wait for the promised son Isaac for at least 80 years! There is no record of frustration, fights or fault findings recorded between the pair. However it is notable that Abraham built an altar everywhere he went to worship the Lord. The hardship of barrenness, infertility and emptiness did not steal their worship or fellowship. Hence after 6,000 years their marital relationship and testimony stands young and strong.
Three things that this blissful couple did not do in their relationship:
1. Blame: Abraham did not blame Sarah and Sarah did not sting Abraham for the barrenness. When you blame others, you are avoiding some truth about yourself. Blame is entrenched in the root of bitterness. If we love our spouse or members of our family as we love ourselves, there will be no ‘blame-game’ or ‘bitter complains’. When you blame others, you give up your power to change – Robert Anthony. Anyone who calls himself/herself pious, God fearing and devout must exhibit their Godliness in the “hoods” that God has placed us in.
2. Shame: Abraham did not sting Sarah with the stigma of infertility. Furthermore it is amazing to note that when Sarah suggested that the slave girl Hagar and her son Ishmael had to be sent away into the wilderness, Abraham did not blame, shame or argue with Sarah that it was her impetuous idea and hasty decision that caused the mess. Instead, Abraham consulted God in prayer (Genesis 21:12). When there is disunity over any matter, we must learn to take it to the Lord in prayer. The challenges we face could be the mistakes of others, yet there is no need for dissension or discord. Don’t shift the shame nor carry the stigma but refocus on love, forgiveness and forbearing. Those who claim to love God will never shame, butcher or disgrace others for their problems.
3. Name: It was Abraham’s faithfulness that brought the promise to fruition but not once did he boast or brag about it rather crowned her with honour and dignity. And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise (Hebrew 11:11). This delightful couple teaches us that a husband protects his wife and a wife covers her husband with love and respect. Both of them stand as the “Father of Faith” and the “Mother of many Nations”. Those who claim to be religious but are unable to love and forgive their spouse or a sister are very shaky in their relationship with God.
Love for God is truly tested and proved by our human relationships.
Ephesians 5:22 Husband must love his wife as himself, and every wife must respect her husband.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to be giving, forgiving and forbearing in all my relationships. Amen
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