I choose LOVE!

John 13:34 & 35

"A 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."

The old hymn frequently enters my mind "They will know we are Christians by our love" and in my prayer time God has been pressing upon my heart as of late about love. Not just about love, but what it means to love as a Christian. It seems like the more I pray and the more God speaks to me, the more I realize how crucial love is when we are walking with God. Here's famous verses that people hear all the time, but do they truly hear and apply it to their life?

1 Corinthians 13:4-16

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears.When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

Think about it, our love as a Christian is supposed to be all those things it lists, if that is the case then why is it as a Christian we can be guilty of judgment and condemnation? I think a lot of Christians think they are living and walking in love, but how do you act or what do you say in a situation where you meet a drug addict, a fellow Christian "backslides" so to speak, or a friend is going through some trials that may or may not be their fault? I think a good test to see if you are exhibiting Godly love is how you handle trials in your life and in the lives of people around you. Are you willing to stand and be a witness to them or are you going to make them feel like God's own people are turning their back on them? Do you think God has turned their back on them? Of course not!

Luke 6: 37

"Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condem and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven."

It seems lately in my life that person after person is going through some trial, more so than ever before. Whether it an impending divorce, a death of a loved one, an addiction of some sort, sickness, family issues......the list goes on. I just can't even describe the way my heart breaks, the compassion and love for them that I feel that I know is God's convictions filling my heart. And in all of that going on with people I encounter, it seems like there is always some people in their lives not exhibiting the love that I keep speaking of and it breaks my heart more. It seems like some people just aren't getting the love aspect of their walk with God and it's so frustrating! But my heart breaks for them as well, they are obviously mislead in the love department so I pray for them along with the people going through the trials. 

She is running
A hundred miles an hour in the wrong direction
She is trying
But the canyon's ever widening
In the depths of her cold heart
So she sets out on another misadventure just to find
She's another two years older
And she's three more steps behind

Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?
Or does anybody even know she's going down today
Under the shadow of our steeple
With all the lost and lonely people
Searching for the hope that's tucked away in you and me
Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?

She is yearning
For shelter and affection
That she never found at home
She is searching
For a hero to ride in
To ride in and save the day
And in walks her prince charming
And he knows just what to say
Momentary lapse of reason
And she gives herself away

Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?
Or does anybody even know she's going down today
Under the shadow of our steeple
With all the lost and lonely people
Searching for the hope that's tucked away in you and me
Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?

If judgment looms under every steeple
If lofty glances from lofty people
Can't see past her scarlet letter
And we've never even met her

If judgment looms under every steeple
If lofty glances from lofty people
Can't see past her scarlet letter
And we've never even met her

Never even met her
(Never Even Met her)

(OHHHHH)Does anybody hear her? Does anybody see?
Or does anybody even know she's going down today
Under the shadow of our steeple
With all the lost and lonely people
Searching for the hope that's tucked away in you and me

Does anybody hear her? (Does anybody hear her?) Does anybody see? (Does anybody See?)
Does anybody even know she's going down today?
Under the shadow of our steeple (shadow of her steeple)
With all the lost and lonely people (Lost and Lonely people)
Searching for the hope that's tucked away in you and me
Does anybody hear her? Does anybody see?

He is running a hundred miles an hour in the wrong direction

  

I love this song, it is so pertinent to my article and my recent convictions. I recently was watching the video where Casting Crowns gave the story behind this song. I probably won't give the story justice, but just in case you want the full story the Casting Crowns YouTube channel has the video with the story. The gist of the story is, all the members of Casting Crowns are pastors, the lead singer was a youth pastor at the time and because of some of the stances and beliefs of the church a very troubled girl was turned away. There was drugs, promiscuity and lots of issues but because of the lack of compassion and love in this church at the time she was turned away. The lead singer said he never met her but in her honor he wrote the song. Isn't that just something? That the very people that are supposed to be examples of the very best love in the world can be like that? Why? Isn't our jobs as Christians to NOT ostracize sinners but to witness to them and love them more? Isn't our job as Christians supposed to LOVE like the previous verses have mentioned? Well to me it's a pretty obvious answer, if we are to strive to be like Jesus we should exhibit His unfailing love for all people and see people through His eyes! I think I will end the blog here, I may revisit the subject at a later date but that's all I have for now. I hope you enjoyed it and maybe I opened your eyes a bit. God LOVES you and so do I! :)