Tag: love your enemies

Christian (part five)

Christian (part five)

The current political and social climate is really rather dark. We can look at the latest news on any channel and it definitely seems as if the sky is falling. It doesn’t stop there either, there is a radicalization of both sides and a few in-between that are for a wild-west solution, “meet me in the street at sunset” or Old Testament solutions, “an eye for an eye” sort of solution. It has been quoted, “If they go low we kick them!” or “Chase them out of restaurants, form mobs around them!” Even, images of decapitated bodies, threats, bomb scares, fear-mongering, and bully pulpits are the norm. So how is a Christian supposed to respond? And how can you tell if one is truly trying to live the life of one?

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be conceited. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:14-21

There are several elements that we can take out of this passage. Let me highlight this one, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Here is the key, if possible. Let me stress that it will not always be possible to live peaceably as it takes two to bring peace. You can try until you are blue in the face but if the other does not want peace . . . what we do is, “leave it to the wrath of God.” In so doing we live the higher road, the one less traveled and puts us in a position of influence later on in that situation or in life.

Not only is this the command of God to us of the Way, but it also leaves justice to the one who judges righteously. When we live a life of love to those who persecute us we allow God’s Spirit room to move in our lives and their lives. It will be either a blessing or a curse depending on their openness. It will either bring goodness or “burning hot coals” and not like you might think but metaphorically speaking. God’s ability to bring wrath is greater than anything we could ever imagine so let us be about the task of love. Loving our neighbors. Loving those who spitefully use us. Love our enemies. Love our families. Love.

You are loved,

cj

Love, my conclusion (Part 2)

Love, my conclusion (Part 2)

L is for the way you look at me
O is for the only one i see
V is very very extraordinary
E is even more than anyone that you adore

And love is all that i can give to you
Love is more than just a game for two
Two in love can make it
Take my heart and please don’t break it
Love was made for me and you

This catchy song by Nat King Cole is probably stuck in your head now, you’re welcome. It is a nice tune, actually, and there are some simple truths in it for sure. Love is not in our wheelhouse, pure love that is. Our human nature does not allow for us to love, purely, from a selfless place but rather love void of God is selfish. It constantly asks the question, what can i get out of this? Oh, we can talk about love, learn about love, desire “true” love but we don’t truly understand love until we understand Christ.

To understand we must study. There is only one place to look really, and that is at the one who perfected love, and the only one to actually pull off perfect, pure love was Jesus. He was not jealous, although we do read in Exodus 34:14 – “For you must not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about His relationship with you.” So, how do we reconcile this idea of a jealous God and pure love, not being jealous?

The idea is simple really. Love was made for me and you. For God so loved the world. God is love. You see, pure love is about God in the first place, the last place and right here where we are in the middle. Perfect love casts out fear. When we have communion with Christ we can rest assured that His perfect love will cast out fear. It will allow us to love unconditionally, others, even those who would hurt us. Perfect love said, “Forgive them for they know not what they do.”  (Luke 23:34)  Our human efforts at love are full of weakness, that is precisely why we must, absolutely must, commune with God regularly. In fact, it should be as often as we possibly can!

So let’s take Jesus and define pure love. In 1 Corinthians 13 we read;

4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails 

Where our human nature may fail, God’s love is perfected. We forgive others because God through Christ forgives us. When we love God we are doing what we were made to do . . . when we love others, we show the heart of God within us. When we love others, even when they have spit in our face, undermine us, provoke us, curse us, cheat on us, lie to us, steal from us, when we love our enemies, blessing them and not cursing them, then we will know what it is to love perfectly in pure love. Let us love like that . . .

You are Loved,

cj