You Already Know What To Do

31 Aug

Brothers and sisters:
On the subject of fraternal charity
you have no need for anyone to write you,
for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.  (1 Thes 4:9)

Five words.

Five words that have been spoken to me through the years by my parents as well as by teachers and mentors:  “You know what to do.”

We all know, however, that “knowing” what to do and actually “doing” what we need to do are two different things entirely.

Paul is writing the Christian Community in Thessalonica.  He is reminding them that they do not have to be taught how to love one another — they already know how to love one another.

The problem is that many of them had not been exercising that love.

Love is a fairly funny thing in our lives, is it not?

We oftentimes mix up “love” and “like”.  We think that, in order to love a person, we must like that person.

Love is a desire.  It desires the best for another person.

There may be someone whom we do not like.

That does not mean that we cannot love that person.

As a matter of fact, as a Christian, we are called to love that person.  We are called to wish the best for that person.

Perhaps, if that person received the best, his or her life would change and we would even find ourselves liking that person.

If so, what a great gift.  If not, we still have a duty to love.

You know what to do.

Love.

FAITH ACTION:  Has your love for someone been far from complete?  Try to figure out why it is so hard to love that person and then ask God for the grace to overcome it.