Love, Love, Love!

Today we were challenged with the Great Commission...GO and make disciples!  This verse in the Bible negates the old saying of "mama always said, there are two things you never talk about:  politics and religion."  Actually, the Great Commission has nothing to do with politics and truthfully I don't want to hear about or talk about politics but it has everything to do about religion...well, not just religion but a relationship...a relationship with the one and only one who can change your life.

We know it says "make disciples" and we know we are to be disciples but what does that look like?  How do people know you are a follower of Jesus?

We had this discussion a few weeks ago during a small group.  The first thing that came to my mind was Galatians 5:22...the fruits of the spirit.  Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness and Self-Control...do I have these?  For sure I'm not perfect but am I working on them?  I think so and if not then I would have to question, am I really saved?  Am I really being controlled by the Holy Spirit or am I still in the flesh?

For sure we all stumble and the walk of a Christian is not one of once you get it, you "arrive".  It's one of ups and downs.  We grow, we learn but it's not always easy.

Another verse that came to mind during our, "how do people know you love Jesus?" discussion was the love chapter:  Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud  or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.  It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.  Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

When I go through these verses, I have to ask myself, "do I show that kind of love?"  And if not, why?  Because I am supposed to if I claim to be a follower of Jesus.  It's so not easy but we are told to LOVE, LOVE AND LOVE!  Love God and love others...love them in the ways above.  Should be easy but isn't when you often encounter grouchy, impatient, complaining, selfish, I could go on and on...people all of the time.  Gotta love them anyway...show them the love that can only be shown by knowing Jesus...Otherwise I am just lukewarm...

Another conversation that we have had...we are reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Chapter 4 is on being lukewarm.  God wants us to be completely HOT, ALL-IN for him.  He would rather us be cold or not on board this "Jesus boat" at all than be lukewarm.  It has been very challenging and the thing that I have been challenged with the most is loving people.  Let me rephrase that...loving difficult people.  Truthfully, I would rather avoid them.  I don't like to hear complaining, I don't to be around people who are grouchy or who are going to bring me down, rob my joy.  I don't like fakers...either you are all in or not.  I don't like people who are selfish are just out for themselves.  I tend to see right through people.

With that said, I know it is something I need to work on.  Looking back at Galatians 5:22 and 1 Cor 13:4, I need to remember patience and kindness when dealing with these types.  I need to not get irritable. 

So my goal for this next year is to love the difficult to love people that come my way.  Never a better time to start than now, right?  Shed the old and put on the new!

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”  2 Corinthians 5:17