The Matter of Love

I heard a message today on love. The gospel is about love. It is about actually loving others. All others. In my former church I heard a lot of messages on "walking in love" but not on actually loving them. After hearing this message today and realizing how different it was from the messages on "walking in love" that I have heard I began to realize some things.

In my former church I did hear many messages on "walking in love" but I never saw love in action. "Walking in love" was the way you made yourself treat another person no matter how you felt about them. It was like it really didn't matter how you really felt about them, as long as you were able to make yourself "walk in love" towards them no matter how you really wanted to act then you were obeying God. NOT!!! Jesus told us to LOVE others, our enemies, those who persecuted us, basically EVERYONE.

As I read the gospels, I can see that Jesus didn't have to "walk in love" toward people because HE actually LOVED them. It spilled out all over them. There was no denying it. He considered them more important than Himself. His love for them constantly showed in everything that He did. That is what we are supposed to do, not just act like we love them.

Did Jesus ignore those who would not be considered "good ground"? No... He loved them. Did He call those that did not understand idiots or stupid? No... He was patient and loving to them. When people came to Him in need of help or counsel did He ask them if they were "tithers" and refuse them if they weren't? No... He ministered to them. Did He put those in their place if they didn't recognize His "anointing" or his proper title? NO... He ate dinner with them. Did He pray destruction over those who were beating Him and nailing Him to the cross? No.... He asked God to forgive them for they didn't know what they were doing.

If we really love someone we act like it. It does not have to constantly be a conscious choice to act like it. It shows in everything we do. The challenge to us is not to make ourselves walk in love toward others, the challenge is to love them.

Does love mean we ignore sin? No. Does love mean we refuse to expose and deal with it? No. Does love mean that our actions and choices don't have consequences? No. Does love mean that we blindly follow a leader because they say they are anointed and they hear from God? No.

Yet love, true love, the God kind of love shows through. It shows through in the good times and the bad. It shows in the pleasant situations and the unpleasant ones. I am tired of those who say they love but it never shows. You can say you love others all day but if it is not evident by actions it is not true.

Let's be the kind of people that there is no question of whether we love others or not. All others. Let's be the kind of people that it is evident that we love others because it can be seen in all we do.