As God’s standards of love are held before us, it becomes clear once again that we fall short of what he demands. It is easy to speak without thinking, without prayer. It is easy to become angry when we have been distracted or to allow our laziness to stop us from works of service. Treating others with love and respect is not behaviour that comes naturally to us. But it is the pattern of Christ, and it is the life to which we are called as those who know the Father’s love.

And once again, the Father’s love is a very important reality to remember. We do not love in order to win the Father’s favour. We do not forgive in order to be forgiven. No, we are loved, we are forgiven in Christ, and now we respond to God’s grace with thankful obedience.

Jesus Christ is the one who came to do what we find so difficult. He came to love wholeheartedly. He came to serve. He came to give himself for the sake of others. Perfectly obedient to God’s law, he exemplified the Golden Rule in all his behaviour and it was by no means motivated by a fear of living. He spoke the truth to those living in sin, he called people to repentance. In this he showed us that love is not about tolerating sin but seeking what is best for my neighbour, putting his concerns before mine, giving my life for his sake.

Ultimately, that is what our Lord did for us. He gave his life to suffer the burden of God’s wrath in our place. He gave his life to die the death that we deserve, so that we can know God’s forgiveness. Therefore, as those who belong to Christ, following his example and living in light of his work, we commit to getting rid of a critical spirit. We commit to praying for God to help us love one another. We commit to thinking before we speak and doing our best to encourage our brothers and sisters in their Christian walk. And if someone should leave our church family, if someone should decide they no longer wish to be members in God’s church, may it not be because we have chased them away with a critical spirit, but because they are unwilling to submit to Christ and follow him.

The Lord has given us a difficult task. He has called us to deny our sinful and selfish natures, to let go of our pride. But we can do so confident of his love, confident of his help, confident that the Holy Spirit is with us to empower us for this work.