September 19, 2017

The Debt to Love

 “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellow man has fulfilled the law.”  Rom. 13:8

Often I like to think about the Kingdom of heaven including a spiritual bank account that God has established in my name.  Truthfully, I focus on the deposits that He makes into my account, so that I always have a balance and never run the risk of “overdrawing my account.”  This implies that I must do my part by exercising the various spiritual disciplines that draw me near to the Lord.  For me the big three are prayer, reading the word of God, and worship. 

This verse forces me to consider that account from a different perspective.  It is good to know that I should not be in debt – except for the debt to love.  I will not ever be able to pay off the debt to love.  It is ongoing.  Love my neighbors this week and that is great; but I am charged with love’s debt again next week.  On and on it goes.

The debt to love exists because the debt of love has been fulfilled by Jesus.   I am not being asked to do what is impossible.  I am loved by Christ and so that debt of love has been paid.  I am called to walk the way of Jesus, with the debt to love as part of that call.  It is what Jesus did during His earthly ministry.  He constantly loved people.  He loved the unlovable into loveliness.  It is what He continues to do in his heavenly ministry.  He steadfastly loves people in every corner of the globe. 

I am glad to think in a new way about my spiritual bank account.  The Lord continues to make deposits of love into my account, so I can make withdrawals and with them show love to those I meet.  Because I have this debt to love, I will need to make many withdrawals.  Thankfully, Jesus does not run out of deposits.