"You shall love your neighbor as yourself," verse 31.
"But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,[...]" Matt. 5:44.
"Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends," John 15:13.
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35.
Do I love like that? Would I lay down my life for my friends, do I love my enemies? Do you?
Be honest. Do alarms go off in your head when you read this?
We live in a world where men's hearts are growing colder and colder. Where they seek to satisfy their every lust. When they have done so, they attempt to convince themselves and others around them that they did nothing wrong.
Yet, Jesus' disciples are supposed to be the exact opposite. Their hearts ought to grow softer. They are called to love in such a way that is contrary to the rest of the world. Fish swimming upstream so to speak.
What frightens me the most is that many who claim to follow Jesus seem to be heading the wrong way. We bicker and argue amongst ourselves, believing that being right is of the utmost importance. Preferring one another? Who ever thought of such a preposterous idea?
How did this happen. When did I blink? Who threw the water on the fire? Maybe it's just me. Maybe everyone else is surrounded by the "I'll take a bullet for you" love. Or maybe others are seeing it too.
If your seeing what I am seeing, then let's be the burr under the saddle. Let's start loving one another. Forget the rest, we'll deal with that later.
Would I die for my friends? Would I die for the Haitians? For Obama? For my Step Father*?
Would you?
Note: Sorry for the long delay between posts.
*In case anyone was confused, I was adopted. My step father is not the father I currently live with.
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5 comments:
"LOVED" the post! Would be interesting to read if you replaced all the "you's" with first person "I's"
To Julianna,
I agree, the only reason I even ponder these things is because I first find fault in myself. Whenever I write posts that challenge the reader, typically they are the result of God challenging me.
"They" will know that we are His disciples - when they SEE the love we share with one another. Ouch. It ought to be evident - especially to those who are nearest us. To treat the circle we are in as "V.I.P.'s" that they - YOU - are. God help us lay our lives in the mundane and mellow drama.
Honestly? No. I couldn't lay down my life for enemies, strangers, or vague accquaintances. That is MY strength talking, though. I'm going to seek the Lord on this one and ask Him to give me HIS strength.
From MY vantage point it looks impossible.
But with God, all things are possible.
Thanks for this simple but convicting post!
Just stumbled onto your blog. Very thought-provoking. I'll have to think on it a little more. On a different note, I'm loving your background. "Two cents"...very smart.
Elyse
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