One of my old, tired jokes goes like this.
"How are you, Jerry?"
"Oh, I am wonderful," I reply.
When the inquirer responds with surprise, which most do,
I go on to say, "Yes, some think I am wonderful; others despise me!"
But, it's not just a joke. For reasons too numerous to explore here, everyone of us deals with people we like and those we find offensive. With some we have an instant sense of connection. With others an equally strong sense of rejection. I am glad for this fact: we are able to overcome our emotional feelings about others for love is a choice. I was talking to a person recently that has become a good friend, whose company I now genuinely enjoy. As we talked, I remembered a time in the past when we did not care for each other - not even a little bit! With patience, we overcame our initial feelings about each other and learned to be brothers in Christ who are on the same team.
Are you one of those people who thinks that love is primarily an emotion, something over which you have little control? Consider what the Word says - "Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony." (Colossians 3:12-14, NLT) What a radical command, so different from the way that people normally act toward those who disappoint them. How easily we work ourselves up to an angry pitch when discussing someone's failures and/or faults. "Can you believe the way she acted in that meeting today? She was so irritating. She is always doing stupid, selfish things like that! I can't believe she claims to be a Christian... " and so it goes. Our mouths are off and running and somebody's reputation gets beat up badly by the time we are finished!
What if we took the Scripture to heart and the moment that kind of conversation started, we intervened with a statement like - "We ought to take a moment to consider the kind of pressure that she is experiencing that causes her to act in that kind of way. Do you think there is something we could do to help her through this?" Or, "I remember when I was less than godly and I am sure glad that someone was patient enough to help me get through it, even when I was acting like selfish child." Or, "Let's make a different choice, and just let it slide for the sake of the Lord." Foolish, you say? In fact it is what it means to show gentleness, to make allowance for the failures of another.
The wisdom of Proverbs reminds us that "He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends." (Proverbs 17:9, NIV) Peter amplifies that by telling us that "you must sincerely love each other, because love wipes away many sins." (1 Peter 4:8, CEV)
Dr. Dan Allender wrote a book titled, Bold Love, in which he calls on Believers to become 'warriors of love.' Sounds like a contradiction in terms, doesn't it? Love and warrior just do not mix - in natural terms. But the truth is that love is an unbelievably powerful weapon in the hands of a Holy Spirit-filled individual. Our model is Christ Himself - who changed the world, who saved me, with love alone. It is not a syrupy love of romantic expectations. It is an active love that requires great wisdom, that advances - at great cost to itself - against evil.
The words of Jesus, recorded in Luke 6, tell us to "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that."
In our war of love, we cannot become predictable or simple-minded. Instead, we must be full of the wise ways of the Spirit, constantly studying those who are in need of love, seeking ways to overcome their defenses. Remember, you can only love to the extent that you are loved! God loves you and He loves me with a deep, unwavering, healing love. "Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other." (1 John 4:11, NLT) Go, warrior, and engage in the battle of love - dying to self and choosing to be a healer of the unlovely - for God's sake.
_______________________
Lord, I come to You,
Let my heart be changed, renewed;
Flowing from the grace
That I've found in You;
And Lord, I've come to know,
The weaknesses I see in me,
Will be stripped away
By the pow'r of Your love.
Hold me close,
Let Your love surround me;
Bring me near
Draw me to Your side;
And as I wait,
I'll rise up like the eagle,
And I will soar with You,
Your Spirit leads me on
In the pow'r of Your love.
The Power Of Your Love -
Bullock, Geoff
© 1992 Word Music, Inc. (Admin. by Word Music Group, Inc.) / Maranatha! Music (Admin. by Word Music Group, Inc.) CCLI License No. 810055
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