Love.

1 Corinthians 16:14:

{via pinterest}

 

Growing up, my brother and I were blessed with two godly, caring parents who taught us to the best of their abilities about what it meant to be a follower of Christ and how important it was to put God first in our lives. There is one thing that has always stuck with me that my dad said over and over, at home and in classes that he has taught. It’s something that will stay with me forever and it’s something that I pray I will be able to impress on Benjamin as he grows up the same way my dad impressed on me…

In everything that you do, if love isn’t your motivation,
then you’re doing it wrong.

Did you know that the word “love” appears in 184 verses, a total of 213 times in all, in the New Testament alone? I’m sure we all can agree that it isn’t an accident, and it definitely isn’t an accident that Jesus Christ himself implored us to be loving toward each other {your enemies, your neighbors, yourself, the Lord your God… that’s pretty much everyone, don’t you think!?}.

My mom and I were talking a couple days ago about how it’s sometimes hard to understand and be patient with people when you’re taking the gospel to them. It’s hard, isn’t it? Especially now when a lot of people just don’t care, don’t want to care, etc. It’s hard to be loving when doors are constantly being shut in your face. It’s hard to be patient with people who just don’t want to see it or hear about it. Isn’t it so hard to “love your neighbor as yourself” when you feel like they just don’t care?

I have seen people out there who have said some really ugly things about others in public places, like on Facebook, and while they probably won’t be seen by the subject of the ugly statements, everyone else on the friends’ list can… and sometimes it isn’t surprising why there are so many people who want nothing to do with Christianity, because Christians can’t seem to emulate the love that Christ tried so hard to instill in us.

My husband told me recently about Christian - a preacher - who had a status up on Facebook, making a joke about wishing he could kill some Muslims. Shocking, right? But probably not as uncommon as you think. A lot of Christians feel like they don’t have to be loving when it comes to things like Politics. Nobody really bats an eye when a Christian posts slanderous, ugly things about the candidate that they don’t like, do they? All I see is a bunch of ‘likes’. But Jesus told us to love our enemies {Matthew 5:44}, not to post hateful, ugly things about them {some which aren’t even true in the least}.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
{1Cor 13:4-7}

Take a look at that, and then take a look at your Facebook feed after some sort of political rally has happened and see how much actually falls into those categories, and which ones fall under the opposite.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t have your viewpoints or even share them, but when it comes down to it, nobody is exempt from acting in a loving manner, even when it’s election year. Or when you’re trying to get through to someone about the gospel. Or when that three year old is blasting the car horn in the middle of the night {sorry, neighbors!}. Or when you see someone else’s kid screaming in Wal-Mart. Or when someone cuts you off while driving, or doesn’t use their blinker {ow, my toes}. Or when someone says something that offends you. Or when it’s time to correct a brother or sister in Christ.

Kristen is patient and kind; Kristen does not envy or boast; she is not arrogant or rude. She does not insist on her own way; she is not irritable or resentful; she does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Kristen bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Think about it…