Friday, 12 April 2024
“The LORD asked Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” He answered, “I don’t know. Am I supposed to take care of my brother?” – Genesis 4:9 GNT
We live in a time that some refer to as a “dog-eat-dog world”. Everyone is looking out for themselves and their loved ones. The well-being of others, if it’s not serving us in any manner, isn’t a priority for us. The world has made its stance clear, that nice guys finish last. They appear to “care” for others when there are cameras involved so that they can be labeled as philanthropists. The word love is thrown around and used as a punchline, and as a result, a lot of people are going through their lives under the illusion that they are genuinely loved, only to discover the painful truth when they call upon their “loved ones” in times of need, and these people are nowhere to be found.
“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” John 15:13 NLT. This is why Jesus’s sacrifice according to worldly standards isn’t possible. How do you sacrifice your life for the very people that don’t care for you, the very same people that killed you? Yet Jesus, knowing full well that the majority would reject Him, laid down His life for everyone, not just the ones He knew would accept Him. Is He His brother’s keeper?
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” Ephesians 5:25 NIV. We all know what Jesus did for His bride, so how am I as a husband expected to be like Him in my interaction with my wife? Is it even possible to love my wife the way Jesus loved and continues to love His bride? Or am I just being set up for failure? Christ is selfless when it comes to His bride. Am I also selfless in the way I treat my wife? Clearly, I can’t literally lay down my life, so how do I go about figuratively doing so? Maybe next time I’m upset at my wife for not doing something for me, I must pause and ask myself, what have I done for her recently that wasn’t expected of me as a husband, that I just did because I love her. Maybe I must think of practical ways I can make her life a little bit easier (e.g. committing to washing dishes every night for the next month so that she has one less thing to worry about). Is this what Philippians means by putting the needs of others above mine? Am I my wife’s keeper?
Like Apostle Paul, I also know a man who has sacrificed everything to serve the people GOD has entrusted him with. He would seek the face of GOD the whole night till the early hours of the morning (sleeping for just two hours), come to church and preach the message given to him, and afterward counsel couples till nine at night. During these counseling sessions, you could tell he was exhausted yet he was still VERY patient and loving. What type of love is this? Is he his brother’s keeper?
In all my relationships and interactions, when I’m long gone, will I be remembered as one who prioritized the needs of others above my own? Or will I be known as one who looked out for himself and only looked out for others when it was convenient? Philippians 2 is very clear about Christ’s level of sacrifice and how do I compare to Him? He told the disciples that they will do more than what He’s already done, this means in acts of selflessness as Christians we ought to be doing more than what Christ did. This then brings us back to the all-important question, “Am I my brother’s keeper”? Are we our brother’s keepers?
In all my relationships and interactions, when I’m long gone, will I be remembered as one who prioritized the needs of others above my own?
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