Two Things 

  To live a Christian life I must do two things.  First, I must love God and do all I can to follow His will in my life.  Second, I must love all His children.

   The first thing seems self-evident; we can’t claim Christianity if our life is not dedicated to loving and serving God, the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.  But it is a dedication unlike any other, it must be a total commitment.  Anything less is unacceptable, “For the Lord, your God, is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” (Deuteronomy 4: 24).”  He will not settle for an hour or so on Sunday, He wants all of us.

   The second thing we must do flows naturally from the first.  If we are truly devoted to serving the Lord we are called to love our neighbor.  We often complain about other people, priests, bishops, the pope, and our neighbors.  We act as if we are the one they will stand before at the judgement, condemning them though we have no right to condemn anyone.  Rather, we must love them, even the worst of them.

   From that love comes the one thing that all of us can do to improve our own life and perhaps even society.  We can pray!  Complaining will not change much but pray can change the world.  Especially those in danger of losing their soul because of their sinfulness need our prayers.  Pray that even the worst of them will repent, change their lives, and find their home in God’s kingdom.

   Two things; serve God and love.  It doesn’t seem like much when I write or even say the words.  Yet these two must become the moving force in my life if I am to truly be a Christian.