Ok, ok, don’t shout copyright at me, I’m fully aware that that is a title of a book (it’s a great book too). But, hear me out. I’m convinced that people (mostly Christians who live in the good ole US of A), forget that love truly does. It’s not about a feeling, a knowledge, or a perception; it’s about an action. Choosing to love each day (yes, even when they’re annoying the poop out of you). I will be the first one to admit that this is not the easiest thing to do, in fact, it’s probably the hardest to love unconditionally. Most people would say that love comes naturally for them, and while I understand what they mean, I would respectfully disagree. Affection comes really easy for many people, but a selfless pursuit of loving someone no matter what daily, is most definitely not an easy task. The good news? Jesus never called us to live an easy life. He called us to pursue Him daily, learn what true love is through Him (His ultimate sacrifice on the cross), and then go share it with the world.
This next year, I will be stretched, broken, loved, filled up, and completely emptied like I never have before. I will see things that I’ve never seen before; things that will excite me, and things that will shatter my heart. The one thing that will spur me on every day is love. Love that Jesus has for me, love that I have for the precious faces that I will meet, and love that those beautiful people need so desperately in their lives. Will it be hard, challenging, heart-wrenching, skin-crawling, sometimes lonely work? Yes. But, will it also be beautiful, soul-lifting, inspiring, rewarding, love filled, meaningful work? Absolutely.
Something I heard in church a few months ago, keeps sticking with me. It was said, “How much do you have to hate someone to not tell them that they’re going to hell when they die?” I added to that with how much do I have to hate someone to keep Jesus from them? To keep the most important thing in my life hidden from them, the only thing that gets me through each day, that gives me hope, passions, and goals? The thing that speaks into my broken heart, and fills me with pure joy? How much hate is that? How much love would it take to conquer that hate?? Exactly one selfless act of sacrifice by Jesus Christ Himself on the cross.
Nope, I don’t believe that this next year I will go and “win thousands of souls for Christ” (I REALLY don’t like when people use that phrase). Nope, I don’t believe that I’m going to change the world, and the course of history. But I do believe that this next year, more than I ever have before, I will do love. I will love on the beautiful days filled with loving faces and warm hugs, I will love on the blistering hot days with doors slamming in my face, and people cursing at me, and I will love at everything in between. I will love. Not because I’m better than you, or because I’m this hyper-Christian (let’s never say this again, ok?), and not even because my calling is greater than yours (newsflash, we all have the same calling). I will love because Jesus calls me to a daily, unconditional, action kind of love. The love that held Him up on the cross while soldiers nailed His feet into the wood, the love that kept Him in hell for three days, the love that arose victorious over sin and death, and the love that looks at me, calling me His beloved. Simply put, I’m going because love does.
I challenge you to look at your life (take it slow, start with today), and ask yourself, how can I do love today?
