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Love one another.......as I consider the challenge of 1 John 4:7 I realize how God has used journeys in my life to teach me the reality of this passage. You see, it's easy to say we love someone. "I love this; I love that" are terms quite casually used in our society today. We say we love chocolate ice cream as easily as we say we love our spouse. Yet, the love that God gives to us and CALLS us to is much different and greater than that.
Years ago I had to learn that love. There was a person in my life who had hurt me deeply and I really didn't care to have to deal with him at all. Mind you, some of the chaos in my heart was brought on by myself; I put myself in situations where my behavior screamed "you asked for it." Yet, no one deserves to be treated with disrepect or crudeness. Such was the behavior vented at me in front of people I cared about. It was embarrassing and hurtful. For many years I harbored that animosity and let it eat at me. Without realizing it the pain affected other relationships with people and my relationship with Christ.
Through the work of the Holy Spirit in my heart I learned that I had to let that hurt and pain go. To release it to the grace of Jesus. I had to do that without expecting (or getting) the apology of the one who hurt me. (That was probably the greatest battle in getting through this. A prideful barrier.) It was so long ago I can't quite remember if I actually ever spoke to this person about what they had done. At that point in our friendship it wasn't wise to pursue that. But I learned to let God's love heal me; make my broken parts whole again and release me from the bondage I had to that anger. It took time. It took patience. It took diligence on my part. It was a deliberate decision to let God work in me.
I can't explain the freedom that is found in being able to let go of something painful to let God take care of it. I can honestly say that I forgive myself, my friend and that I love him with the love of Christ. Am I best friends with him? No. Do I respect and care for him as he is? Yes. Do I pray for the blessing of God's work in his heart and life. Of course. And I mean it. "Friends, let us love one another........"
4:7 Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God. |
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