New - old commandment - Love

S - 2 john 1:

Now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another. ⁶ And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.

O -  John is sending a letter to someone specific at the local church, likely in response to what he has heard is going on in the church.  He speaks specifically to someone of some sort of leadership position , one that he likely discipled.   As a senior in the church he had likely not only experienced the ministry when Christ was on earth, but also now had the experience of a number of years leading the local church himself.   So these letters that the early apostles wrote are for the local church in that time, but in many ways are timeless, because the struggles of the early church, in many ways are the same struggles the Israelites found the themselves struggling with , and the ones we today.  This particular verse corrects back to the heart of every person, and every church,  our greatest commandments to love God and to love one another. 

A - The application for me is to focus on loving well in my life, at home, at work, in the church and in the world wherever and with whomever God places in front of me.  I still fall so short of loving like christ loves, but know that His word today.

P -  Dear heavenly father, start with me,  help me to love as you love, unconditionally, with grace.   I need my spirit corrected and even rebuked when I stray from loving my brother well.  Holy spirit come and refresh anew your spirit of love in me, so that I might be more and more like Jesus.  In Jesus name, Amen.