DAY 46 - BECOMING PEOPLE OF LOVE
KEATON TUCKER, YA GROUPS TEAM LEAD
“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 abuse you.” Luke 6:27-27
Love. Probably the most talked about topic in all of Christianity. It is the central part of the Christian message that God so loved the world, he gave his only son. Jesus, more than anything, wants his followers to become people of love. Love has also made its way into the rest of culture too (mostly). It has taken many forms and almost everyone I know is eager to say “we just need to love people.” Yes, I agree. But it seems to me, love has become more of an attitude or a state of mind than something put into action. I myself, have this mindset most of the time. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that but as I look at this teaching of Jesus closely and do some self-reflection, I find the love I understand is more self-serving than self-giving.
To be sure, and one caveat to what I am about to write: in order for a relationship (of any kind) to flourish, there must be reciprocity. But to become a person who embodies the love of God, reciprocity is not a requirement. Much could be said about this but we don’t have space here, so think about it for a while. I’m sure God will give you understanding in everything.
In order to do what Jesus said in the verse above it is important to know that your heart does not need to be in the right place to do what he said. When someone abuses you, the normal, natural heart posture is anger, retaliation, and the like. That is normal. The heart change comes when you do what Jesus says instead of submitting to your normal, natural reaction. On a long enough timeline of doing what Jesus says, you will find that when someone does abuse you, curse you, or do things to you in hate, your natural reaction of anger and retaliation will be transformed into the very actions Jesus said to do.
Bless those who curse you. This is done both in public and in private. I am sure in your workplace there is that one person who has nothing nice to say to you: they’re condescending, rude, maybe they even cuss at you. At that moment, I want to retaliate and put them in their place. The Jesus thing to do, even if your heart's not in the right place, is to bless them in that moment then to go home and pray for them. I have had this happen to me many times. It HURTS! It sucks, it’s embarrassing, and often it had me questioning myself. I didn’t want to bless them or pray for them, not at all. I wanted justice as I defined it. But now a few years later, I find it easier to bless those who do evil things to me because Jesus has been at work in my heart.
As you become a person of love by putting into action the very things Jesus says to do, you will begin to discover that people hate and curse others because of what is inside of them. Many of us know this in our mind, but as we are transformed we begin to see it with eyes that are not our own, but God’s. True compassion will begin to take place in your heart for people who are enslaved to the anger within them.
In the beginning of this journey of becoming a person of love, it is very difficult to do what Jesus said. Of course, it is, you are warring against your own flesh. Be gracious to yourself in that moment and ask God for more grace and for help. Soon enough, it will no longer be difficult because your actions will flow from who you have become.
Be blessed my friends.