The Blog

How Well Do We (or I) Really Love

Posted on 23. Jul, 2010 by Mark in Uncategorized

Love seems to be a common theme in my life lately.  I have read multiple blog posts regarding the love of each member of the body for the other.  Anthony at The Normal Christian discussed this (in the post “Smell Ya Later”).  Norma at My Church Journey has chronicled how the Lord lead her into a very “unconventional” fellowship, with brothers and sisters on the street.

Now, I would like to think that my heart overflows with love for all my brothers and sisters.  Truth is, my heart yearns for true communion of the body, as described in the NT, and yearns for God’s people to emulate the humility and love of Christ.  The other truth is that, when the rubber meets the road, I don’t very closely emulate the love and humility of Christ.  I am working in the ER as I write this, and the ER has been a good “proving ground” for me, meaning the Lord has used my time in the ER in the last 2 plus years to grow me in many ways.  Lately he has used it, among other things, to enlarge my heart towards those that I don’t traditionally have a lot of love or patience for.   I find that my love lacks when the person I am dealing with is a drug seeker, or if I am tired, or if I am impatient, or for whatever reason.  I have really been challenged lately to let the love of Christ come forth through me.  it is a decision after all.  I get to WALK (a specific action, initiated by me) in love, towards ALL PEOPLE!!!  My tendency sometimes is to want to walk in love towards believers, and maybe  not so much towards the really, really lost among us.  There obviously is no example of this in scripture, and many instructions against this.  I also have the tendency to think more highly of myself than I ought, forgetting Ephesians 2, which reminds us that we were all at one time dead in our sins, and “there but by the grace of God go I”.

So, I am learning to love.  For real.  Learning to come outside of myself, outside of my comfort zone, and allow Christ to more fully live through me, as that is what He desires to do in the first place.  “I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in  me.  And the life I now live I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me”

Father, continue to enlarge my heart.  Give me your love, your compassion and your patience.

Thanks for bearing with my rambling!