Have you ever stopped to think about Jesus’s love?
Like, really think about it.
I’ve always known Jesus loved me, I learned that in a Bible school nursery rhyme. But, I never stopped to actually think about it and process just how much he truly loves me.
He walked this earth as a human, had human desires, free will, and thought just like we do. God gave him free will, he could have said no to his destiny. But he chose LOVE. He chose to give his life, so that others can live and have an eternal life.
When I think about Jesus getting nailed to the cross, honestly, it seems like a story. A bible story I heard growing up and I accepted it. But lately, I’ve been thinking about it and it’s not a story. It actually happened, Jesus, a human, was physically nailed to a cross. He had a crown of thorns placed on his head and he was whipped. He took all of that pain for US.
How absolutely amazing is that? What a true, pure love that He would do that. He sacrificed his love so that we could have life and that just blows my mind.
I want to learn to love like Christ. I want to look at someone that others have deemed “unlovable” and fall madly in love, because that’s what I was asked to do. LOVE THY NEIGHBOR. Too often, society has a tendency to turn their eyes when they see someone that doesn’t meet their standards.
How are we showing love if we never talk to the homeless person? How are we showing love if we automatically assume everyone of a certain culture are terroist? How are we showing love if we judge the Mom with four kids and food stamps at the grocery store?
Choose love.
Talk to the people you would normally look away from. Approach them, introduce yourself and let them know through your kind words, that they are loved. It doesn’t take much for someone to feel loved.
A few months back, I parked in parking garage that only accepted cash. The cashier told me I needed to walk to an ATM and get cash, I informed her I only had $5 on my card. She looked at me and shrugged her shoulders and told me she couldn’t let me leave. I backed up, pulled into a parking spot, and started crying. There was so much weighing on my shoulders and that was just the final straw. A few minutes later, she walked up to my car and told me she was going to pay for my parking.
In that moment, she chose love. I felt loved. I saw Jesus living inside of her because she reached out and did something kind for me.
I went back to that same parking garage the other day with a $20 bill in my hand. After paying for my parking, I told the attendant to keep the change and use it to pay for the next few customers parking. Because I was loved well, I was inspired to love others well.
Love God, and love thy Neighbor. That’s what we’re called to do. Kindness is love. Let others see Jesus in you.
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” -Mark 12:30-31
