Brotherly kindness

“and in your godliness, brotherly kindness”  2 Peter 1:7

Brotherly kindness – Take a trip with me.  We’ll travel from Orlando to Philadelphia.  On the way, we will first come to Washington, DC.  Before we get to the city of brotherly love, we will have to travel through the capitol of the country.  That’s the kind of message that Peter has in mind in this verse.  Before we can act with love toward others, we must first travel through the heart of God. 

Right action toward God precedes right action toward others. That’s the proper order.  But so often we get it backwards.  We think that we can show love toward other people before we have settled our relationship with God.  Not so!  The practice of acting toward others in loving ways only has its true fulfillment when I have first taken care of my actions toward God.  Eusebeias (devotion to God) come before philadelphia (brotherly love). 

How many times have we tried to instruct our children in right actions toward others when we forgot to first instruct them in right relationship with God?  How many times have we seen human organizations try to institute loving behavior without first looking at the heart?  How many times have we attempted to act lovingly toward someone else when we knew that our personal relationship with God was not on the right footing?  In God’s plan, all outward action must first travel through a heart of reverence and devotion to Him.  Any other path is a detour to destruction.

Today you will be confronted with other people who need your brotherly kindness.  You have two options.  You can attempt to deal with them on your own, taking a detour around your heart relationship with the Master, go you can see immediately that if you are going to meet their need (no matter what it is), you must first get your travel directions in order. 

Today you have the opportunity to follow the right path.  God reverence, devotion and submission; then action.  Inside out.  That’s the way God does travel planning.