Love Anyway

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Okay, I’ve got some more things on my mind. (I know it’s shocking).

There is a lot of hate and anger in this world, and I feel especially upset when I see it come from Christians. There are many decisions being made in this country right now. Some of it we can take part in and some of it we can’t. When it comes to the rights of human beings it has somehow become a gray area.

Is there anywhere in the Bible that has not been clear about loving humans?

Humans are sinful, right? Humans. If you consider yourself a human, then you are sinful. One thing so many of us struggle with is feeling THAT person’s sin (or opinion) is worse than ours because it’s different. Somehow, we have ranked sin according to our own opinions.

It is true that there are different consequences for different sins, and maybe that’s what has made us feel some are worse than others. Each certainly affects us differently. However, it needs to be made clear that all sin, any sin separates us from God. To God, sin is sin.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

All have sinned.

The good news is that Jesus died for all of those sins. We all have the same opportunity to turn away from it and accept Jesus as our Savior.

Many of us spend our lives focusing on the sins of others that we happen to not struggle with. I must say, that certainly is effective in taking our attention off our own, isn’t it?

This is what I suggest…

Do what God told us to do and LOVE. Love people regardless of their sin, the way God loves us. Love is the most powerful force. It changes people. MLK Jr. said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." Love can completely change a person.

You know that person you completely disagree with? Love them.
That person whose lifestyle is “offensive” to you and your beliefs. Love them.
That politician you think is evil. Love them.
That “bad” kid that you can’t stand to be around? Love them.
That person who keeps trying to fight you on Facebook. Stop your fingers from typing, and Love them.
That stranger who just shot you the finger. Love them.
That family member you can’t get along with. Love them (even if it must be from afar).

The list goes on and on. I know some of those are really hard. They are hard for me, but God said to love them anyway.

Do you believe that God is bigger than everything? If so, then you should also believe that He can handle every situation set before Him. So, set “that person” and those situations before Him, and let Him handle them. All we need to do is ask Him to show us the best way to love, then pray that someone does the same for us.

I know this sounds like rainbows and butterflies, but I hope you understand that I am not saying accept sin. I am saying to love beyond sin. I am saying that God did not give us the responsibility to judge and punish. That is His job. Our job is to love.

Today I challenge you to try it. Let God handle the logistics of your situation so you can make the choice to simply focus on love. Watch what He will do when we get out of the way.

“The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.”
1 Peter 4:7-8

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