I have always loved love. It is one of those things that I have dreamt about since I was a kid. I dreamt that I would fall in love, that I would experience a love that surpasses all understanding, that love would never fail me, and that I would never regret having loved anyone or anything. As an adult, love is a hard thing to process sometimes. It can be confusing and painful then it can be joyful and uplifting. But the differences between these kinds of love is Jesus.
He has called us from the very beginning to love one another as we love ourselves. The two most important commands that He gives us is to love the Lord God first, and to love your neighbor as yourself. So why does love get so confusing sometimes? I believe it is because throughout life, we sometimes forget how to love properly and what loving someone really means.
I learned about love in Nicaragua. I learned that it is restorative, forgiving, powerful, and can be the difference between life and death. Simply put, we should love one another the way that Jesus loved us: unconditionally.
The love of this world is not something that can be relied on or believed in, because it is conditional and it will let you down as often as it will (temporarily) build you up. It is believed in many cultures and religions that good works are what saves you and what will land you a spot in heaven. However, if these works and deeds are not done out of a place of love, then they are useless. Love is the foundation of ministry, humanity, and helping others. Without love, you are going through the motions and the condition of your heart is not where it should be. I am not here to tell you to stop doing good things by any means, but when you do them, make sure your heart condition is in the right place and that it is coming from a place of love.
This month in ministry, I experienced time and time again the power of love. I witnessed people comforted by love, I witnessed someone being reprimanded from a place of love, I listened to testimonies where the turning point for them was the way they were loved by people, and I saw a house full of people who came every Friday night to be loved on. It sounds simple enough, but I recognize that it is hard at times to love someone unconditionally. I have recognized that in myself this last month, and I am going to try to make a conscious effort to carry these words out, not only for the duration of the race, but also when I get home. I do not have to be in a foreign country thousands of miles away to minister to people. I can love my neighbor, my friend, the barista at my favorite coffee shop, the person who didn’t tip me because there was too much sauce on their fettucine alfredo (this is the hardest I think), anyone and everyone! It is said in John 13:35 that they will know us by our love for one another.
So I challenge everyone that reads this to check the condition of your heart towards people and to make a decision to love on people the way that God loves us.
