The One About Love
So I have not posted in awhile and there are a couple reasons for that. First, a lot has been happening in my life lately and in the lives of those who are near and dear to me. Some of these are good things, some bad, some confusing, and some that are just difficult. It's crazy how messy things get when when I'm striving to be genuine and vulnerable. If there's no current conflict to work through in your life let me challenge you to ask yourself whether or not you are really willing to change. Wait, what did I just say? If you're looking for growth, then how you deal with conflict (within yourself or interpersonally) will show you a lot about where you need to focus. :-)
Second, I want to make sure that I am not posting something just because I want to speak and be heard. I've mostly enjoyed this blog. There have been so many cool experiences over the past six months that I haven't shared yet! I don't think I'll run out of things to talk about for decades. But I don't want to write just because something is cool or I think it will make me look good or sound intelligent. I want to post things that will help others grow as I am growing. If Grace and Grit's blog has not challenged you, or strengthened you, or offended you, or helped you in any way then I encourage you to stop reading. Don't waste your time. There are far better things you could be doing online then reading one more blog that makes no impact on your life. Go ahead and unsubscribe or un-friend me, I won't be mad at you. :-)
If you are reading this and we don't share the same faith or viewpoint I am so grateful you are here! I don't want to be surrounded solely by people who "run in my circles" (but I love you guys too!). We all need to reach out more, listen more, love more. We need to give more thought to the opportunities we have to speak and we need to be out of our comfort zones more. So I thank you for choosing to be here reading this right now. You're awesome.
Now here's getting down to the business of what I felt compelled to share. I really didn't plan on writing a blog anytime soon. I've been taking in some much needed writing silence...until now. This started as a comment in response to someone posting an article and then turned into what you will read below. It all came from asking myself what it means to be a Christian who loves.
It is hard to practice really loving a single person all the time not to mention ALL people. I believe that sin is real with lasting consequences, namely our separation from God. I am not going to sweep sin under the table like it doesn't matter, but it is also true that my own sin is no greater in God's eyes than anyone else. Sin includes pride, lies, abuse, lust, greed...not just the supposedly "big" sins like murder. If those of us who call ourselves Christians truly lived our lives believing that every soul is just as precious, loved, and valued by God as our own what would that look like?
I have found it easy to love people who are different as well as those who are making choices I believe are wrong. But wait, there's more! It has only been easy when I have allowed God to bring about humility in my heart. Please understand that sometimes I fail miserably at this and my pride and arrogance get in the way...sometimes lasting for extended periods of time. But loving the "unlovable" is a huge part of working in a shelter and I am encouraged to see how much my love has expanded since coming here.
This is what humbles me: I feel such gratitude that God would choose to love me, with all of my sin, failures, and imperfection! He chose to save me as only He could...by giving Himself and all of his perfection to the world to die in my place. That is perfect love. God doesn't love me because I have immeasurable worth. I have immeasurable worth because God loves me. There's a big difference.
When I stand before God someday in judgement, as I have faith that I will, I will not be smiling because I am so wonderful and have lived my life following all the rules that my "religion of choice" dictated. So far from it! I will be smiling because when I am judged to be imperfect and unworthy and my sentence is being read Jesus will step in front of me and declare, "I have paid her debt. I died so she could live. I gave humanity a gift and this child has chosen to accept it. She is no longer lost, but found, and I have made her mine. I alone have the power to do this. Death holds no power over Me." What amazing grace, what freedom! How could my life not be filled with love when that is what I have found??? For me to love others is not as much a command as it is a result of the love I have experienced for myself. My hope and prayer is that you will come to experience this as well!
Second, I want to make sure that I am not posting something just because I want to speak and be heard. I've mostly enjoyed this blog. There have been so many cool experiences over the past six months that I haven't shared yet! I don't think I'll run out of things to talk about for decades. But I don't want to write just because something is cool or I think it will make me look good or sound intelligent. I want to post things that will help others grow as I am growing. If Grace and Grit's blog has not challenged you, or strengthened you, or offended you, or helped you in any way then I encourage you to stop reading. Don't waste your time. There are far better things you could be doing online then reading one more blog that makes no impact on your life. Go ahead and unsubscribe or un-friend me, I won't be mad at you. :-)
If you are reading this and we don't share the same faith or viewpoint I am so grateful you are here! I don't want to be surrounded solely by people who "run in my circles" (but I love you guys too!). We all need to reach out more, listen more, love more. We need to give more thought to the opportunities we have to speak and we need to be out of our comfort zones more. So I thank you for choosing to be here reading this right now. You're awesome.
Now here's getting down to the business of what I felt compelled to share. I really didn't plan on writing a blog anytime soon. I've been taking in some much needed writing silence...until now. This started as a comment in response to someone posting an article and then turned into what you will read below. It all came from asking myself what it means to be a Christian who loves.
It is hard to practice really loving a single person all the time not to mention ALL people. I believe that sin is real with lasting consequences, namely our separation from God. I am not going to sweep sin under the table like it doesn't matter, but it is also true that my own sin is no greater in God's eyes than anyone else. Sin includes pride, lies, abuse, lust, greed...not just the supposedly "big" sins like murder. If those of us who call ourselves Christians truly lived our lives believing that every soul is just as precious, loved, and valued by God as our own what would that look like?
I have found it easy to love people who are different as well as those who are making choices I believe are wrong. But wait, there's more! It has only been easy when I have allowed God to bring about humility in my heart. Please understand that sometimes I fail miserably at this and my pride and arrogance get in the way...sometimes lasting for extended periods of time. But loving the "unlovable" is a huge part of working in a shelter and I am encouraged to see how much my love has expanded since coming here.
This is what humbles me: I feel such gratitude that God would choose to love me, with all of my sin, failures, and imperfection! He chose to save me as only He could...by giving Himself and all of his perfection to the world to die in my place. That is perfect love. God doesn't love me because I have immeasurable worth. I have immeasurable worth because God loves me. There's a big difference.
When I stand before God someday in judgement, as I have faith that I will, I will not be smiling because I am so wonderful and have lived my life following all the rules that my "religion of choice" dictated. So far from it! I will be smiling because when I am judged to be imperfect and unworthy and my sentence is being read Jesus will step in front of me and declare, "I have paid her debt. I died so she could live. I gave humanity a gift and this child has chosen to accept it. She is no longer lost, but found, and I have made her mine. I alone have the power to do this. Death holds no power over Me." What amazing grace, what freedom! How could my life not be filled with love when that is what I have found??? For me to love others is not as much a command as it is a result of the love I have experienced for myself. My hope and prayer is that you will come to experience this as well!
We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
1 John 3:14-18
Happy Good Friday.
Happy Good Friday.
Beautifully said Joanna Joy! "For me to love others is not as much a command as it is a result of the love I have experienced for myself." Exactly :-)
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