We Christians love us a good Scripture reference. We like to tell you about our little catch phrases too. We have this one saying that I have heard a lot more recently. We tout ourselves as Christians who "Love God and Love Others." We derive this saying from Mark 12:30-31 which says, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’There is no commandment greater than these.”
Sounds easy enough. How hard is it to love God and love others? Apparently, it's quite difficult.
I believe Christians honestly have good intentions when they try to love God and love others. I really do think we love God well, or, as well as our human selves can love the God of the universe. When it comes to loving others, I think we struggle a bit.
I was talking to a long-time friend a couple weeks ago. We were talking about the church and how its handled welcoming people who don't fit the mold. We were talking about how the church responds when someone walks through the door with arms filled with tattoos, or piercings, or ripped jeans. This friend is not your typical anglo-saxon buttoned-up Christian. She doesn't fit the picture of the Christian church. She made a statement that stuck with me that night. She said she teaches her children to love people as they come to them. Don't judge. Don't try and change. Just love them as they come.
That's it. This is how we love God and love others. We love people as they come to us. Period. The end.
I think we have convinced ourselves that in order to truly love others for God we must try and change them. We feel that forcing them into the Truth and enforcing the standards of the Bible we are loving them. If we don't do this, we are banishing them to hell. I think we try to change people before loving them because we are scared. We fear that if we don't tell them all the wrongs they need to make right, they won't make it to heaven. While well-intentioned, I can't say this feels like love.
When we choose to love others by trying to change them, we are not trusting the power of God in their lives. I get that we want better for the lives of the people around us. I understand the urgency to help them get to a better place. But, that is not what Jesus is calling us to do. He is calling us to love them and let him do the rest. He is urging us to walk alongside people shining brightly for him igniting a fire within their souls.
We mean well, us Christians. We really do. While there are some hate-filled people who claim to be believers, I do feel most Christians have good intentions. But, good intentions don't always lead people to a Savior. We have over-complicated this love thing. We have decided we are God and it is our duty to change the lives of those we love. We have confused loving others with saving others and quite frankly, it is not our job to do the saving.
We are just called to love. Thank goodness because I really don't want to be responsible for the saving. I feel so much pressure relieved when I just love. I don't need to have all the answers or the Scripture memorized to back it up. I just get to love and let Jesus do the rest. Whew. That feels good.
Jesus is calling us to love him and love his people. Leave the rest to him. Let those we love wrestle with the promptings of the Savior. Let the Spirit move about in their souls and lead them to redemption. The more we love, the more Jesus is seen.
Show a little more Jesus today. Love first.
Love & Blessings,
Meg
Sounds easy enough. How hard is it to love God and love others? Apparently, it's quite difficult.
I believe Christians honestly have good intentions when they try to love God and love others. I really do think we love God well, or, as well as our human selves can love the God of the universe. When it comes to loving others, I think we struggle a bit.
I was talking to a long-time friend a couple weeks ago. We were talking about the church and how its handled welcoming people who don't fit the mold. We were talking about how the church responds when someone walks through the door with arms filled with tattoos, or piercings, or ripped jeans. This friend is not your typical anglo-saxon buttoned-up Christian. She doesn't fit the picture of the Christian church. She made a statement that stuck with me that night. She said she teaches her children to love people as they come to them. Don't judge. Don't try and change. Just love them as they come.
That's it. This is how we love God and love others. We love people as they come to us. Period. The end.
I think we have convinced ourselves that in order to truly love others for God we must try and change them. We feel that forcing them into the Truth and enforcing the standards of the Bible we are loving them. If we don't do this, we are banishing them to hell. I think we try to change people before loving them because we are scared. We fear that if we don't tell them all the wrongs they need to make right, they won't make it to heaven. While well-intentioned, I can't say this feels like love.
When we choose to love others by trying to change them, we are not trusting the power of God in their lives. I get that we want better for the lives of the people around us. I understand the urgency to help them get to a better place. But, that is not what Jesus is calling us to do. He is calling us to love them and let him do the rest. He is urging us to walk alongside people shining brightly for him igniting a fire within their souls.
We mean well, us Christians. We really do. While there are some hate-filled people who claim to be believers, I do feel most Christians have good intentions. But, good intentions don't always lead people to a Savior. We have over-complicated this love thing. We have decided we are God and it is our duty to change the lives of those we love. We have confused loving others with saving others and quite frankly, it is not our job to do the saving.
We are just called to love. Thank goodness because I really don't want to be responsible for the saving. I feel so much pressure relieved when I just love. I don't need to have all the answers or the Scripture memorized to back it up. I just get to love and let Jesus do the rest. Whew. That feels good.
Jesus is calling us to love him and love his people. Leave the rest to him. Let those we love wrestle with the promptings of the Savior. Let the Spirit move about in their souls and lead them to redemption. The more we love, the more Jesus is seen.
Show a little more Jesus today. Love first.
Love & Blessings,
Meg
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