What's Love Got To Do With It?

     I'm still learning about love. I've never done it well. I withhold love when I should give it. Maybe I grew up feeling unloved. Maybe I was not taught how. Maybe I've tried all the wrong ways. Maybe I'm missing a "love gene".

     Lately I've seen what love is supposed to look like. I've seen moms love on their children. I've seen them have to be firm, but yet with love. It's a hard, yet tender thing. The hard part is really HARD, but it's because of love.

     I've seen the church love on people (people that in my opinion seem very hard to love).  But the church opens arms to all of them. I wish I could love better. I think I'm trying. Sometimes tears remind me that at least I'm caring more.

     Perhaps I've forgotten to imitate the Person of love. Jesus loved prostitutes and murderers and tax collectors and all sorts of stinky people. Why don't I?  He clearly is the example the church follows - at least the one I attend does it well. Ephesians 5: 1-2 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children and walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma.

     So.......what's love got to do with it? Apparently everything.
     It was everything to God to give us His Son.
     It's everything to me, knowing I spend eternity with Him.
 
     So why is it so hard to love? God's love is unconditional, is mine? Jesus died for me and I'm fine with that, but the fact that He died for........well, you know........the ones we don't like - that causes me to ponder. It motivates me to love anyway. It spurs me to love without demands or conditions.

     Jesus died for us all by His choice and His obedience. My choice must be to imitate this love. I choose to practice love. I choose to look beyond what I see and see what Jesus sees.

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