WEEKLY MESSAGE

SUN, 19/07/26 - SAT, 25/07/26

ON THE MESSAGE THIS WEEK: A TRULY CHALLENGING COMMANDMENT

KEY VERSE: “THIS IS MY COMMANDMENT: LOVE EACH OTHER IN THE SAME WAY I HAVE LOVED YOU” (JOHN 15:12)

Jesus said, ‘I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!’ (see v11). What are these ‘things’ that you must do to have His joy in life? Jesus tells us in the next verse: ‘This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.’

You might say, ‘That’s a truly challenging commandment!’ Yes, and you’ll have to do a lot of growing and maturing in order to keep it. But to enjoy the life Jesus wants you to have, you must commit yourself to doing it! God created all kinds of people with different temperaments and personalities, so clearly He loves variety. When God made the first person He said, ‘It was good.’ So not only are there varieties of people, but there’s ‘good’ in everybody and you’re supposed to look for it.

Much of our unhappiness in life is caused by people not being what we want them to be or doing what we want them to do. What’s the answer? How can you enjoy each day if you’re going to have to deal with "annoying" people? By making up your mind to love them. You don’t have to like their ways, but you have to love them in spite of their ways. But when you think about it, that’s how God treats you, right? Here’s a key to loving "annoying" people: often, they are usually annoyed about something in their life. When you treat the source of their pain, they’ll begin to feel better and treat you better.

Loving people isn't just a matter of attitude, it must be expressed in the way we speak and listen. When we choose patience, understanding, and grace, our communication reflects Christ's love and builds trust instead of barriers. That's why learning to communicate well isn't just a practical leadership skill; it's one of the clearest ways to put Jesus' command to love others into action.

Here’s one bit of time-tested wisdom that will help get you the results you want in life: become a good communicator. Whether you lead in the church, the workplace, or the home, you must take the time to communicate clearly with people in order to succeed. One of the things virtually every employee wishes he or she had with superiors is better communication. Unfortunately, when those employees become managers, they forget to communicate with those they manage.

This isn’t the case of Sally Frame Kasaks, who became CEO of the Ann Taylor clothing store franchise. She placed a new emphasis on quality products and on ‘more and better communication with employees at all levels’. Within a year, sales rose over 30 per cent.

Paul Kahn had a similar agenda when he became chairman and CEO of Safeguard Services. He had his head of operations, Richard Interdonato, change the internal company strategy to emphasise three things: 1) Open doors. Leadership became more accessible to employees. 2) Visibility. Interdonato spent about 40 per cent of his time ‘just talking with people’. 3) Sharing information through a daily newsletter and frequent open forums with employees. It worked. Within a year, earnings increased by 13.1%.

When you’re on top, always remember the issues that are important to those below you. Why? Because no matter how great your vision may be, without the cooperation and commitment of those below you, your vision will never be fulfilled. Paul, who was a great communicator, wrote, ‘Teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.’ (see 2 Timothy 2:2)

Have a courageous week in Jesus' Name, Amen.

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Did you know: There are almost 20 different passages in the Bible where it is mentioned that we are God's people.

Ref: Jeremiah 32:38 / Ezekiel 14:11 / Zechariah 8:8 / 2 Corinthians 6:16 / Hebrews 8:10 / Ezekiel 11:20 / Ezekiel 37:23 / Jeremiah 7:23 / Jeremiah 31:33 / Ezekiel 37:27 / Jeremiah 31:1 / Revelation 21:3 / Exodus 6:7 / Leviticus 26:12 / Jeremiah 11:4 / Jeremiah 30:22 / Ezekiel 36:28.