A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
To love one another.
Do we truly know what it means to love one another. To love as Christ loves us?
Do I TRULY understand what that means?
I honestly think it's impossible for us to do so.
When I consider what the world deems as love...
Letting people continue to live in their sin because "they are such nice people and do they do much good what does it really matter?" Well.. their souls matter.. that's what matters. But to speak out is to be attacked for being unloving.
Allowing people to live in untruth...how is that loving truly?
Christ didn't allow people to do so.
He drove people out of temples, spoke hard truths, told people what they were because he was concerned for their souls!
I think the bigger question is... how do we follow Jesus's example of love and show concern for the souls of people surrounding us?
How do we not let convention and politcal correctness and 'getting along with our neighbours' stop us from truly showing love to those in our sphere of influence?
I can't say I know.
It's hard.
I know I don't want to be bombastic or accused of not being kind...(which to me is part of being loving).. but how do I truly show my love for others? To really follow the example of Christ?
I don't know.
Do you?
But you know what just caught my eye? THIS PHRASE : if you have love one another. You know who Jesus was talking to right? He was talking to his disciples. Not to the world at large about us talking with the world or loving those in the world.. he was talking to his disciples about loving each other and THAT love is what would draw people in, that love would show the world that we are truly his disciples.
So that brings back to this question: How do I show that I love my brothers and sisters in Christ? How do I in a church filled with seniors show my love? How do I when I know folks love the Lord but we disagree on theology...show my love? How do I show my love to those who appear and act like believers show my love when we disagree over matters of that are sinful?
How in that love.. am I showing the world that I am a follower of Christ? Am I showing my discpleshipness to them? And will that showing draw folks in to love the Lord as well?
I fear that I fail so badly in this.
That too often I am quick to condemn, but then just as quickly to keep my mouth shut when I shouldn't. It's such a hard balancing act that too often I do nothing and then I wonder...how am I showing my love?
There are simple ways to show love.. the saying hi, the asking how one is doing, the lending of a hand to others (with or without being asked), the willingness to just be helpful because it's a natural extension of who Christ calls us to be.
But some of those "standing for truth" and "doing so in a loving manner" that sometimes confounds me.
Does is sometimes confound you?