Do you have love?
Before I began, I am not saying I have a perfect understanding of love and that you all should listen to me. But I am here trying to show you in a small way what love should be.
Think about for a moment, what was the first thing that went through your mind when a someone or lets make it a friend, messes up? He lost his temper and started swearing non stop. She cheated on someone. He back stabbed another.
I would come to understand that (including me) the first thought would be a judgemental one. If you guys are not then you may stop reading, it is not for you, you are wasting your time if you are reading this. You are fine.
I admit that at times I also fail at this aspect. It is indeed hard to love as I am. When difficult people come along the way. But then again, love is not suppose to only make you feel good. It calls you out to be inconvenienced. If love is self sacrificial, then "loving" in a manner where it is easy does not really cut it.
When we hear about Christians these days we hear things like them being narrowly focused, closed, hypocrites, power hungry, judgemental and so on but not how they love. *dramatic pause*
What? But it is our core teaching. The foundation of what we come to know is love and no one recognizes us for how we love? What are we doing then?
Non-Christians you may skip this part, sorry =P. In the Bible, when Jesus came, he came in a relational manner. He first loved before anything, he initiated a relationship before anything. Are we forgetting our God is a personal God? I am not saying that preaching the Gospel, knowing what needs to be done, showing people they are in the wrong is well wrong. NO, never did I imply that, what I am trying to bring in is where our focus is where from it everything else flows. What do we want to be first known as? The one who loved or the one who always shoot people down, makes me feel condemned, seeking arguments with people, arrogant?
Now from what I understand truth is a person not a teaching. If you have that person you have that truth. Through that truth there is always unity. What unites us is not some teaching but a person. If we put our truth in doctrinal and scripture understanding higher than the person we are definitely missing something here. Again if this is not you, skip it, but in all humility I say this, if that is the case, it is idolatry. A subtle one nonetheless damaging. I repeat, I am not saying doctrinal truths are not important, I am illustrating what matters more.
Both extremes are bad.Churches who go on without truth and all spiritual feel is off as well. But Jesus' intention was never to pick which side, but to focus and love him. John 1:14 says Jesus came full of grace and truth. Not just grace not just truth but FULL of both.
So my question for Christians out there. " Are you pursuing Christ?" know that if you are you are pursuing a relationship. A love affair.
John13:34-35 " new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
It cannot get clearer than that. Of course we can go in depth, but the command is as clear as it can get. So when they see you, will they know that you are disciples of Christ?
Being a Christian is so easy, but being a disciple calls your whole life.
Think about for a moment, what was the first thing that went through your mind when a someone or lets make it a friend, messes up? He lost his temper and started swearing non stop. She cheated on someone. He back stabbed another.
I would come to understand that (including me) the first thought would be a judgemental one. If you guys are not then you may stop reading, it is not for you, you are wasting your time if you are reading this. You are fine.
I admit that at times I also fail at this aspect. It is indeed hard to love as I am. When difficult people come along the way. But then again, love is not suppose to only make you feel good. It calls you out to be inconvenienced. If love is self sacrificial, then "loving" in a manner where it is easy does not really cut it.
When we hear about Christians these days we hear things like them being narrowly focused, closed, hypocrites, power hungry, judgemental and so on but not how they love. *dramatic pause*
What? But it is our core teaching. The foundation of what we come to know is love and no one recognizes us for how we love? What are we doing then?
Non-Christians you may skip this part, sorry =P. In the Bible, when Jesus came, he came in a relational manner. He first loved before anything, he initiated a relationship before anything. Are we forgetting our God is a personal God? I am not saying that preaching the Gospel, knowing what needs to be done, showing people they are in the wrong is well wrong. NO, never did I imply that, what I am trying to bring in is where our focus is where from it everything else flows. What do we want to be first known as? The one who loved or the one who always shoot people down, makes me feel condemned, seeking arguments with people, arrogant?
Now from what I understand truth is a person not a teaching. If you have that person you have that truth. Through that truth there is always unity. What unites us is not some teaching but a person. If we put our truth in doctrinal and scripture understanding higher than the person we are definitely missing something here. Again if this is not you, skip it, but in all humility I say this, if that is the case, it is idolatry. A subtle one nonetheless damaging. I repeat, I am not saying doctrinal truths are not important, I am illustrating what matters more.
Both extremes are bad.Churches who go on without truth and all spiritual feel is off as well. But Jesus' intention was never to pick which side, but to focus and love him. John 1:14 says Jesus came full of grace and truth. Not just grace not just truth but FULL of both.
So my question for Christians out there. " Are you pursuing Christ?" know that if you are you are pursuing a relationship. A love affair.
John13:34-35 " new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
It cannot get clearer than that. Of course we can go in depth, but the command is as clear as it can get. So when they see you, will they know that you are disciples of Christ?
Being a Christian is so easy, but being a disciple calls your whole life.
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