Love as defined in a dictionary states in part; " a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person. Devotedness".
Love is not about following rules. Following rules is simple, black and white. It is a line in the sand, a clear demarcation of when we have hit the mark and when we have not. If you do right, then you are okay, if you do not, then you have some penance to do and some changing to do... Love is much higher than this and much, much harder to put into practice. It's more about being led by God on a moment by moment basis, being open to take a detour to help someone. Being kind to those that are very difficult to love is no easy task. The fruit of the Spirit "is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control; against such there is no law". Galatians 5:22, 23.
Jesus loved the unlovely. He loved those that were a stench to the Israelites those who did not have the beliefs that God ordained. He loved those who were in sin. He loved those who did not love Him. He didn't force the truth down people's throats. He confronted them with their sin lovingly. He challenged them to sin no more. He was actually much more "in your face" with the religious, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, those that thought they were so right. He called them "white-washed sepulchers (or tombs)". They were quick to judge those they thought were not "towing the line", the line that they had established as they had added laws to the laws that God had ordained in the Old Testament, breaking the backs of those around them with their rules.
I am thinking about how Moses interceded on behalf of the Israelites numerous times when God had apparently just had had enough- often God spared them and did not do what he intended on doing to the full measure that He had planned because of Moses' intercession on their behalf. Frequently the people rose up and rebelled against both Aaron and Moses and still they prayed on behalf of them, pleading for mercy, now that is love! They did not argue with God to destroy them although they were angry with them. I am sure that Moses did not have a tender affection for the Israelites many times- this definition does not address the aspect of unconditional commitment even when the feelings of love wane and appear to be lost. Our feelings are so fickle, nothing would ever have hope of lasting if we followed our ever changing emotional tides.
Again, love is the higher way and the harder way. Much harder way! It is much easier to judge another for their choices than it is to walk with them through the mud and mire of life and lend them a hand. Life is messy even for the 'best' of us! As the religious leader walked on the other side of the road for the Samaritan man who was lying on the side of the road. It reminds me of the recent saying, "What would Jesus do?" How many condemn even their own brothers and sisters in Christ for supposedly not having the understanding that they do in certain areas (me included) rather than loving them in these areas? Walking down the potholed riddled life of another human being is no easy task when their choices fly in the face of all that we believe...but would Jesus do any less? He died for us WHILE we were yet sinners. We serve Him out of a greater revelation of what He has done for us, not the other way around. We don't serve in order to be accepted. We are accepted and therefore our desire is to serve! It is so easy to get this all mixed up especially as we get involved in our churches, etcetera. It is the natural bent of man to find his own way out and forget that he needs help....
Galatians says that we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh if we walk in the spirit. God is the author and perfecter of our faith...He is the author of it, the beginning of it when we first realized our need for a Savior and came into agreement about our need and repented, but it does not end there. He is continuing to perfect us day by day. We will never arrive to that place of perfection until we sing, "Oh Happy Day" in the presence of our God, it is from "glory to glory".
"It is by grace that we are saved, through faith and this not ourselves so that no one can boast". Grace. Grace for yesterday, when we were first saved. Grace today for my every blunder and misunderstanding and misguided way and grace for our future, so that I can actually made it to my Heavenly home.
"Love one another as Christ has loved you". It's as simple and yes, as incredibly difficult as that!
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