I lack love. Do you?

During this election season I have had thoughts and emotions that are not reflective of my belief system. I’m so sorry for that.

How do we impact a nation, a city, a community when we focus on where we are “right” and others are “wrong?” Where is Jesus in that?

Where is Jesus in us?

How can we profess love and yet walk in such judgment and criticalness? How can I profess Jesus and yet walk in such judgment and criticalness of others?

This election has opened my eyes to my lack of love for those that disagree with me.

As God has opened my eyes to this in regards to the political landscape, he has brought it closer to home and focused my vision on how I interact with people in my daily life.

How well do I love when my kids (mostly young adults) don’t agree with me?

And the uncomfortable answer is—–not always well. By nature, I’m a debater. Couple that with a strong personality and a need to be right…and it doesn’t go well for those that disagree.

How many times do we confess that we love people of all race, color, sexual and political persuasion because Jesus loves them? We walk in this attitude because it is the “Christian” thing to do. But if the Bible were peeled out of our hands, what would be exposed in our heart of hearts? Jesus? Or ungodly attitudes?

I think we use Jesus to wall paper over what we really feel, not because we’re bad, but because we really don’t know how to love people we disagree with. Because when we live from an “us” versus “them” mentality we have a love problem.

What is your emotional response when you read the following words?

Homosexual
Transgender
LGBT
Liberal
Conservative
Muslim
Mormon
Jehovah’s Witness
Planned Parenthood
Abortionist

Is it love or affection for these ones that Jesus died for? Or do we feel righteous indignation because they are wrong.

There is a difference between fighting for what is morally conscionable and loving the people who are against our principles. And I don’t know that many of us do it well.

Daniel did. Living in captivity, he served horribly ungodly kings and loved them (Dan 4:19).

Jesus didn’t ask us to love them because He loved them. He asked us to love with His love (John 15:9-13).

And it starts at a very personal place. He asks us to love ourselves (Luke 10:27). My guess is that He knows that if we don’t love ourselves (the “me” of the equation), then it’s impossible to love others.

How can we give away something we don’t possess? How can I love you, when I don’t love me?

And when we try to give away what we don’t have, the world sees through it.

So how do we start? How do we assimilate His love into our very cells so that it pours over us and leaks onto others? How do we carry love, so it is the first thing we release when we brush up against people we disagree with?

We have to experience His love to be transformed by it.

Reading the Bible in my younger years I would get so fired up on Jesus’ behalf, not understanding why he didn’t rip the naysayers to shreds. He’s less about principle and more about people. I still don’t understand that kind of love…but I want to. So I’m going to start studying Jesus. I want to experience His love in a deeper way.

My prayer is to receive His love for myself, love as He loves and see people as He does. That’s all I want.

Prayer

Jesus, help me to love as You do, first for myself and then for others, because I can’t give what I don’t possess. I want to possess more of You in every part of my life. In You I want to live, move and have my being (Acts 17:28).

Photos via Pixabay