And They Will Know us by HIS Love

Love your neighbor. Love your enemies. Love others more than yourself. Love each other.

Over and over in the Bible we are given the command to "love". When you ask any random person on the street what loving their neighbor means to them, you'll get a whole slew of answers. "Loving my neighbor means putting them first." "Loving my neighbor means doing nice things like opening the door for them and saying 'thanks'." "Loving my neighbor means not being a jerk to them, even when I'm having a bad day." "Loving my neighbor means sharing the gospel with them." "Loving my neighbor means taking care of them before myself." Kindness, goodness, gentleness, even things like sacrifice and the "I Am Second" slogan. These are all things we associate with "loving" others. And really, they're all right. But don't you think there could be something more? Surely, if "love" was one of the two GREATEST commandments, the one Jesus emphasized the most, there's more to it than just "being nice"? The book of John says that Christians will be known by their love. But lots of people can love. Hindus may be some of the nicest people you'll ever meet, out of their belief in respect for all life and in karma. But they aren't Christians. What sets us apart in our love?

Maybe its that our love is more complicated. Love is not a noun. It is not a thing. Its a verb. Love is taking action. So how do we do that? Is "being nice" really enough? It seems to me that being nice doesn't require anything of us. Maybe when you're having a rough day, being nice requires a little extra patience. Maybe it takes an ounce of effort to hitch up that smile even when you feel you'd rather the world just go away. But does it really take something from us? From our hearts? We are called to love sacrificially. Love should cost us something! That's the beauty of love. Practically speaking, I tend to think that "love" is different from person to person. Everyone has heard of the "love languages" concept - the idea that each person has a different way of giving and receiving "love". The concept is generally applied within the context of marriage: learn to speak your spouse's love language and be a more loving partner. But what if we applied that to friendships? Family? Strangers? It would take a lot more than just an ounce of effort, wouldn't it? Learning how to best love someone takes time, effort, and sacrifice. But isn't that what Jesus did? He interacted with people based on their needs, not his own. The Samaritan woman Jesus encounters at the well at the beginning of his ministry is a good picture of this. This woman was destitute, and outcast among outcasts. She had 5 husbands, and the people of her city looked down upon her and rejected her. She probably could have used money, new clothes, some advice, and a hug. But what Jesus saw in her heart that she probably needed more than anything was acceptance. Jesus loved her in the most effective way by telling her he knew all the awful things she'd ever done and then offering her his "living water" anyway. Money, clothes, advice, a hug - yeah, she could have used those things. But what her heart and soul really needed that day was acceptance. And Jesus loved her enough to see that in her and to offer it to her. Take my best friend, Sarah. I know that one thing that means the world to her is to have someone LISTEN. I have always been more of the talker in our friendship, and she is usually very content to just listen and chime in. But one thing that I have had to learn about effectively loving Sarah is that the one thing that makes her feel extremely loved and important is for someone to take the time to listen to her, rather than forcing her to be the listener. Don't misunderstand - Sarah is a great listener. She loves listening and giving counsel. But sometimes, she just needs someone to listen to HER. And that is one way that I can show her love. It would take a lot more effort and sacrifice on our part to truly love people this way, wouldn't it? Sure, we can't get to know everyone we see on this deep, personal level. Opening doors and "being nice" are good ways of showing love to those we encounter but never really "know". But think about the people you surround yourself with. What ways are there that you can communicate love to them?

Seems impossible, doesn't it? Definitely. We, as Christians, are called to love people in a supernatural way. We love people (or we're supposed to love people) regardless of all circumstances, unconditionally. As a human, a woman, a college student who often runs low on sleep, and a person who knows just how irritable she can be, I honestly don't believe it's possible for us to love others perfectly all the time. Not on our own, at least. That's the beauty of God's love for us. As we love God, he fills us with compassion for others even when we feel we physically can't love any more or that we're just at the end of the line: out of love, out of patience, out of compassion. Maybe that's why the two commandments go together: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. Love the Lord your God and then, once you've done that, you'll be ABLE to love your neighbor as yourself. His perfect love fills the gaps in our broken, imperfect, human love. His love for others shining through us is what sets us apart. They will know us by HIS love, showing up in our lives.