Love in Action

Mark 12:31 ~ And here is the second: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment that ranks with these.”

I find myself saying a lot lately, “What kind of person does something like that?” Or, “How can they do that and claim to be a believer?” Just yesterday, I was thinking about someone and how the way they were was so unacceptable and immediately I heard that still small voice say, “Well how can you call yourself a believer and do…..?” I cast my spiritual eyes down and felt shame. I didn’t even want to look at my faults. It was more satisfying to look at someone else’s and put myself on the judgmental high horse. I heard that spirit say, “Christy you want and expect people to love you through your faults, so don’t you think you should return the favor?” It was yet another gut punch out of left field that kind of took my breath away. Let me just say it’s easy for me to love some people in my life no matter how they behave or what they do. However, there are some people, for some reason or another, I hold a grudge against and everything they do is offensive.

When I look at Mark 12:31 I am reminded of my failure in loving others as myself. I would never condemn myself for not being able to live up to every expectation that the Bible teaches us to be as a believer. That is why Christ came so we could live under His grace, not the unattainable level of religious perfection. If I allow grace in my own walk with Christ, why can’t I provide that same privilege to others? Why is it so difficult for me to look past some people’s faults? I believe that most of the time it has to do with unforgiveness that I am still harboring towards that person for something they have done to me or someone I love. I can easily say I forgive someone, but sometimes how I respond to them either in the way I talk to them or how I talk about them to others or myself, betrays that confession.

Forgiving along with love is an action not just a declaration. It is something we must actively choose to do on a regular basis. Jesus was hanging on the cross, beaten, bruised, and scorned and He choose to love. He chose to stay on the cross so we could live in the unbelievable privilege of grace. He asked His Father to forgive them for they do not know what they do, as he was dying. As followers of Christ, as professed believers in the Messiah, we must imitate Him. We must see people, all people, as Christ sees them. We must look through the lens of the blood that He shed on Calvary.

I ask for myself more than anyone for Jesus to help me forgive and see people with the love that He has for them. I ask that He remove my Judgmental Judy view of those that so easily offend me. I want to love as Christ. I want to love my neighbor as myself and extend the same grace that God has extended to me. Lord help us love with the love you have given us!