Love One Another

1 Peter 4:8
cf John 4:7 ff, John 13:34-35, Matthew 22:39, and many others

One of the central themes of the Bible is that we need to love the people around us. Jesus argued that loving our neighbor (by which he meant everyone we are in contact with) was one of the greatest commandments, and that all of the Old Testament law and prophets were pointing to loving God and loving other people. Jesus told the Apostles that people would know they followed Him because of their love. John tells us that God is love and that we show our love for God by loving others. Peter tells us to love each other deeply.

So the question stands, how do you love your coworker? How do you love your boss? How do you love those people that report to you? It's a bigger question than one post for sure, but it's a question that you need to ask yourself.

When your coworker is annoying or even backstabbing you, how do you love him/her? When your boss ignores your accomplishments but picks on you for every little mistake, how do you love him/her? When your subordinates need more direction than you think they should or aren't performing up to your standards, how do you love them? If your tendency is to think that there's a quick answer, you should probably wrestle with the question more. First, start by praying for those people. I've already mentioned praying for your supervisor. But also, pray for those coworkers who must annoy or frustrate you. Pray for yourself as you relate to others.

But that's just the first step. In later posts, I'll revisit the question, but even as we examine other passages and practical ways to love others in the workplace, this is something that all of us need to spend some time with. How can you show Christ's love to the people around you?