Just Harping About Loving

What are we going to do about the evil in this world? Let it play out, or, as Christians, take the responsibility to demonstrate radical love that people will start to know Jesus by our love. We could reach the world with this radical, Christ-like love.

How do we measure up? Do others know we're a disciple of Christ by the way we talk the "love talk" and walk the "love walk"? Let's take St. Paul's love test to see how we measure up: “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own way, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). That love is the mark of Christ’s disciples.

Yes, I’m harping on loving. We’re in good company if we become a “love-harper”. We’ll be taking after Jesus. Our hearts of love (or not) are being exposed. Here’s a scripture that reveals whose side we’re on: “The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy”, but the Jesus way of love says: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10) The thief is aka Satan. The Lover and Life-giver is Jesus.

Jesus explained it in an easy-to-understand way. He said: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.“ (Matthew 22:37-38) Loving God is the heart of the matter. Without love for God, first and foremost, it's easy to violate all the other commandments, the laws of the land, love and respect for our brothers and sisters, and ourselves. If we stuck to this one -- we'd sail through the other ones!

And, isn’t that why Jesus gave us that first and most important commandment? It was because He loves us too much to see us wander and become isolated from a Father-Child, loving relationship that is about obedience, righteousness and a daily heart-check-up! If we aren’t purposefully loving God with all our hearts, it's easy to slide on keeping any of the others.

These times call for an immersion in the waters of love. When we fall in love with the Lover of our Souls, then it is a natural by-product of Jesus’ second greatest commandment – to “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). In 1st John the connection is explicit: “We love because He first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother” (1 John 4:19-21). Whew! How much clearer could it get?

So, how can we measure up to loving in spite of wrongs done to us? We can't measure up, but there is One who does. Jesus loved us perfectly and gave Himself for us. He saved us when none of us could save ourselves. And now, when we put our trust in Him, we are transformed and can imitate the pattern of His love: In receiving His love, we can, in turn, love others. It’s a win-win – we love God with all our hearts – and then, we live it out by loving others. Let's harp about this kind-of-love!

Loving the Unlovely - Test or Torture?

This Peanuts cartoon shows Lucy speaking to Linus, "I am human and I need to be loved just like everybody else does." God bless Lucy. She reminds me of some folks, even my own self, at times. If you'll remember dear Lucy's personality -- she was characterized as loud-mouthed, aggressive, temperamental, and sometimes dumb. She often mocked Snoopy and his owner, Charlie Brown, and even her younger brother Linus. She was quite antagonistic, often playing the villain role in a number of stories. She was also characterized as vain, as she believes she is beautiful and thinks she is perfect (though she once admitted complaining is the only thing she can do well). But, in response to Lucy in this photo, I reply with, "Yes, Lucy, you're right. We all need to love and be loved."

The Apostle Paul put it this way in 1 Corinthians 13, ”"Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not love, I am a sounding brass and tinkling cymbal." I've been mulling over this post as I've subtlely posted about loving the unlovely -- not that it's an easy thing to do, but because it's the right thing to do. I can't speak to those who just don't care or those who are bent on being name callers and making really snide and ugly remarks about others, but I am referring to my brothers and sisters in Christ who have found it a popular thing to do -- to speak some very unkind words. It's one thing to disagree, but it's a whole other thing, to justify cold-heartedness. It's a shame that our love can be reduced to sounding brass and tinkling cymbals. This post today isn't to those on the other side of love -- it's for those of us on God's side -- those of us who are supposed to take the higher road, the road less traveled, Have we heard 1 Corinthians 13 so often that we no longer think about what those words mean?

I get it. We are disappointed in the political shenanigans that are going on. It's easy to get caught up in the sheer craziness of it all. One side points to the other about violence, outrage, bomb threats, mass killings, misconduct of each other, etc. But as off-the-wall crazy as it all is.....we must remind ourselves as many times as necessary to go back to WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?). He's our "rule of measure". He was despised and rejected and even though He was a perfect and innocent man, was tortured and killed. He only loved. He taught us how to love. He loved even the unloveliest and even died to save them. He forgave "Lord, forgive them for they know not what they do."

Maybe it's time that, rather than focusing on the weaknesses of each other, to give ourselves the LOVE TEST and see if we'll pass with flying colors. Let's ask God to help us be LOVERS with these "love" qualities: After reading these words, let's read them again and replace the word "love" with our name. "Love is patient -- Donna is patient. Love is kind -- Donna is kind. Dear God, where I fall short, renew my heart and soul to be a LOVER like YOU!
1) Love is patient.
2) Love is kind.
3) Love is not jealous.
4) Love does not brag.
5) Love is not arrogant.
6) Love does not act unbecomingly.
7) Love does not seek its own.
8) Love is not provoked.
9) Love does not take into account a wrong suffered.
10) Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness.
11) Love rejoices with the truth.
12) Love bears all things.
13) Love believes all things.
14) Love hopes all things.
15) Love endures all things.
God doesn't ask us to do anything without His grace to do it. Let's be LOVERS, not haters!
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Can We Pass the Love Test?

Day 11 in this Month of Love -- Can We Pass the Love Test?
I can't post about LOVE in this Month of Love without mentioning the scripture that we hear in just about every wedding ceremony. Words from the "Love" chapter, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way (oh me, how many times did I miss that one?); it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends."

WOW -- that's a boatload! And, I'll admit there have been plenty of times when I had to do a self analysis and if God were giving me a Love Test, I'm not quite sure if I would have passed the test. If I replaced LOVE in that scripture with my name, how would I measure up? For example, "Donna is patient and kind; Donna does not envy or boast; Donna is not arrogant or rude. Donna doesn't insist on her own way.........."

I wonder if we sincerely took those words to heart and applied them and heeded them in our marriages and friendships, how many relationships would be saved? What if we quoted this chapter before our feet hit the floor each morning? Imagine how we could change our world when we made LOVE our priority? .

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life."

How can we compare THAT love to the love that we share? In reality, we are just not capable, in ourselves, to love the unlovely or love those who have hurt us, but if we ask God to place within us His AGAPE love (His selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love), we CAN be that kind of LOVER. AGAPE love is a divine capacity to love. And I pray for His AGAPE love to be in me and you today, AND to flow through us to those who need His love so much.

Love through me, Holy Spirit, love through me,
I will be my brother's keeper, love through me;
Hearts are bleeding deep inside, love can dry the weeping eye,
Love through me, Holy Spirit, love through me..

Time to Take the Love Test

It's time to take a LOVE TEST -- let's see how we're weathering this week!

Are we patient and kind?
Are we rejecting the temptation to be envious or being a bragger?
Rather than being self-seeking, and prideful -- are we rejoicing with someone else's victories and celebrations?
In spite of the opportunity, are we refraining from being rude or angry?
Are we "hoping" all day, with the expectation that something good is about to happen?
Are we having an "I will not quit" attitude?
Are we protecting our family and friends with an attitude of being their armor bearer?
Are we trusting God in the midst of the storms around us?

If we could answer "YES" to each of the above......then we're passing the LOVE TEST, and it's time to celebrate, because we've found out how to CONQUER..... because LOVE CONQUERS ALL!!