To be a Christian means to be "Christ-like".
Christ-like.
The bible tells us that Jesus was perfect. The only way He could sacrifice Himself as the ultimate offering was to be perfect. But it also tells us that He had the body of a human. He had desires, wants and temptations just as we have. He had pain, if He got cut he would bleed, if He got hot, He would sweat. He, however, is the only human who has/will ever live a perfect life here on this earth. His life was full of love for those who had nobody. He loved those who were unlovable. He loved those who nobody else would love. He loved those despised by others. He loved those who had sinned.
When I hear someone talk of murders, rapes, crimes and assaults...I often close my eyes to the awful thing that it was and will even judge the people involved. I'll say "Well they shouldn't have been out that late, it's their own fault." or "Well look at the way she's dressed, no wonder that happened to her. It's her fault, she deserved it." or "Well, they joined the wrong crowd, it was their choice, therefore their fault."
"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned." -Luke 6:36-37
Instead of my heart aching for these people and the sin against them, I judge them more harshly than anyone should judge, totally ignoring the fact that Jesus said we MUST love them no matter what they've done. He said "ALL have sinned" and that He loved us "While we were yet sinners." We don't need to judge other people by what's on the outside; you never know why people do what they do, dress the way they dress, say what they say or go where they go. We need to reach and change their hearts and show them love before we try to change the way they look on the outside.
"A lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” And he answered, “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE.” But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’ Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?” And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.” -Luke 10:25-37
When you read the story of the good Samaritan, you see a wonderful example of true love. Love that went before title or place in society. The Samaritans weren't the ones who were loved, liked, or even accepted. Yet this man came along and gave of his time, money and love and helped someone in need.
“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned." -Luke 6:27-37
Love goes beyond any treatment you've received. It forgets wrong done against you in order to follow Christ.
I know time and time again I have the feeling that I have "arrived" or perfected a certain area of my life. Because of that, I feel the need to help others with this area where I see them not quite as perfected as myself.
"Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye." -Luke 6:41-42
Contrary to what I might think...this verse doesn't mean "perfect your life first, so you might also go then and help others perfect their life." No, it's more saying that we shouldn't point out these little faults of other people because most likely we have an even bigger problem with the very same thing. We are in no position to point out other people's faults and how awful they are when we have the same ones. We need to concentrate on our own life, keeping our hearts and minds on the Lord so we can work on messed up areas!
True love comes in many shapes and sizes. It can be from the smallest of things, like lending someone a cup of sugar, to a huge thing like saving someone's life.
But there is one thing we must have for love to work properly. Compassion. To love another person you must first learn to have compassion for them.
True compassion moves us to do something.
Helping other people isn't something we just do to check off a list. We can't say we have done our charity/good deed for the week and leave it at that. No! If we are truly moved with compassion, as Jesus was, we won't help and "love" others on a set date then leave, or have a schedule when we love them and when we have our normal life. Love doesn't have an expiration date.
Love meets needs. Love is selfless. Love thinks of others. Love means meeting physical, emotional and spiritual needs.
"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." -- "But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love." -1 Corinthians 13:4-7, 13
Loving someone doesn't mean simply going to a soup kitchen and dipping up plates for people with no home. This is an amazingly kind thing to do...but it's not all there is to do. Sometimes we might have to go into the bad parts of town. We might have to go into a dirty house. We might be around screaming kids and barking, unfriendly dogs. We might have to go clean up an area that isn't the cleanest. If we're not willing to get dirty for the cause of love, for others, then we should check our hearts.
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To love and help others, sometimes we have to get rid of a little bit of baggage on our end. It might be bitterness, unforgiveness, racism, judgmental heart or anything else that's weighing us down and holding us back from true compassion. We have to let it go before God will truly use us.
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On our own we cannot love as we need to. We can try all we want but it is impossible. The only way we can have TRUE love and compassion is if we have God's gift of love in our hearts and allow HIM to shine through our life. God is the Creator of love! We think love is just a word that we say when we have any kind of happy emotion inside. We don't think of the true meaning, see the picture of Christ on that cross to give of everything He had; and for who? The very ones who hung Him there.
The truth is, without our willingness to let His love come through us, we can't let it reach other people. It will stay bottled up in our hearts and just sit there.
Love is that which does for those who everyone else has marked "unlovable." We can't say we have true love yet pick the "better," "cleaner" people to show it to. We must treat everyone with the love of God, not just the ones we think deserve it.
If our giving comes from God then we will search for a true need and not just give them the same thing everyone else gives away. We can't just go give someone a jacket or blanket, because (for example) "John" may not need a jacket/blanket. John might need someone to talk to him, a phone to call family, a bag of bread, a shower or new pair of shoes. We must find the need then provide. If you want to be "Christ-like," talk to those who are hurting and alone. Find out the need, whatever it is, and fulfill it to the best of your ability.
"Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you." -Matthew 5:42
Love will never get old; will never run out. It has no expiration date because it will last forever and overflows where Christ dwells.
1 comment:
AMEN!
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