Just Love

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope & trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day - full of hope, opportunity and promise! - begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama!

I read something, or perhaps heard a message, this week that has had me thinking all week. The funny thing is when I went back to look for it in preparation for this Happy Friday, I could not find it. Perhaps it was simply the conviction of the Holy Spirit! :) Regardless, having thought about it numerous times throughout the week, I am highly confident this message can be shared...

1 Corinthians 13: 1 - 3 says this:
"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing."

Are you, Sweet Friends, feeling the depth and breadth of those words? I can be the greatest orator the world has ever known; I can have more knowledge and wisdom than any other human being walking the face of the earth; I can have such great faith that I can actually move a mountain; I can appear to selflessly serve others by giving away literally everything I posses; and I can endure great hardships however if I do not have love, if I do not love others, I have gained absolutely nothing! Please let that sink in...

We live in a world that is so concerned with who is right and who is wrong. We spend an inordinate amount of time judging each other. We love - sad to use that word here! - to point out the speck of dust in anothers eyes while ignoring the 2 x 4 in our own eye. We work so hard at putting on these great facades. We strive to be better than everyone else in all our endeavors. We are so concerned with who is right and accusing others of being wrong. We have made everything into such a great competition, like somehow your success could minimize mine, that your joy could steal mine, that your peace takes mine away. And we do all these things and yet 1 Corinthians 13: 1 - 3 tells me I can accomplish everything I ever hoped and dreamed but if I do not love, I have gained nothing. What if, instead of focusing on winning, being better than every one, being right, etc., we focused as much time and energy on loving others? What would our world look like then?

The type of love that 1 Corinthians 13 talks of is referred to as agape. Here are a few references I found for us that describes what agape love is/means:

"Agape is a Greco-Christian term referring to love, 'the highest form of love, charity.'"

"it embraces a universal, unconditional love that transcends and persists regardless of the circumstance."

"It goes beyond just the emotions to the extent of seeking the best for others."
* The emphasis' are 100% mine! :)

And here is a great quote that captures it pretty darn well:
"Agape has to do with the mind; it is not simply an emotion which rises unbidden in our hearts; it is a principle by which we deliberately live." - William Barclay

So agape love, the love we are called to have, is universal, unconditional, transcends and persists regardless of circumstance, goes beyond emotions and is a principle by which we deliberately live. 

As you and I shift in our chairs we say something like, "But you don't know what a [fill in the blank] he/she is!!!" or "But you don't know what they have done!!!" You are right, I don't. And you don't know some of the things that others have done to me, things that have bruised and broken the deepest, most tender parts of my soul. And just like I am challenged, I challenge all of us with Luke 6: 27 - 36:

"But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."

At this moment I am reminded of two sayings one of our Pastor's used to throw out there when he had just delivered a zinger...kinda like I just did! :)

1. It is the Spirit that convicts, not me.

2. What part of the Bible to you believe? The part you actually walk out!

Yes Sweet Friends, I get it. It is hard...So! Very! hard! But just because it is hard doesn't mean it is not right. And just because it is hard doesn't mean we cannot do it, with God's help.

The bottom line Friends is we live in an evil, fallen, broken world that wants to tear anyone and everyone apart. We live in a world that wants to judge and assign labels. Here is the thing, if we are Christians, we are no longer of this world. We live in it however we are not a part of it. As a dear mentor used to say, "Why are you surprised by the anger, hostility, etc.?You are not playing a home game!"

A few more things I want to share and then I will wrap this up with a challenge for all of us.

"People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." - Theodore Roosevelt

"Love is not what you say. Love is what you do." - Unknown
That one is attributed to so many people I have no idea who actually said it first! :)

"Kindness - Loaning someone your strength instead of reminding them of their weakness." - Unknown

And finally, do you remember the song, "They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love"? Please let me share a couple of stanza's with you:

"And they'll know we are Christians
By our love, By our love
Yes, they'll know we are Christians
By our love"

"We will work with each other
We will work side by side
And we'll guard each man's dignity
And save each man's pride"

I need to spend more time in Children's Church! :) Did you know that last stanza was there? No wonder our kids set such a great example for us!

As for the challenge for all of us this week? Just love.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families!

Kev