Somehow when I read verses like that, I just tend to skim through it and go 'yea, yea.' And even the most famous chapter on love, 1 Cor 13, has been spoken of so many times that I've kinda grown immune to it - knowing the commands, but forgetting the whole meaning behind it. Until last night when Rev Angus spoke about 'Speaking the Truth in Love'.
So why can't we just 'speak the truth'? Why end it with 'IN LOVE'?
When Rev Angus read Gal 5:22 out loud, it suddenly caught me that I don't even practise half of the values stated there. Well, maybe I do, but hey, I'm sure even a non-believer has a certain degree of all of those qualities. His message hit me hard...and reminded me of those times when I couldn't help but judge, times when I really wanted to strangle a fellow Christian for not acting 'Christian' enough, times when I just loathed coming into contact with people and just wanted to lock myself in my room, times when I evangelise not because I truly love God's people, but because evangelising has simply become this ingrained duty that I'll feel guilty if I don't fulfil it, times when even the simpliest things that people do around me will irritate me...
Not a very nice side of me, is it?
But yea...it's all true. Been struggling recently trying to get this love thing right. A passage from Ps Sivin Kit's blog:
Try to do a survey. Ask your friends, whenever they think of Christians, what word comes to mind? Most of them will say one of the following: Truth, Hypocrisy, Old-fashioned, Holy holy, Bible, Christmas and Church. A few of them may even say: Doctrine, Prayer, Jesus or Easter.
Only very few will actually say: Love, Compassion, Warmth, Gentleness.
Like most groups in the world, Christians are often known for second-best reasons. We tend to emphasize the footnotes and miss out the Main Point. And what is the Main Point of this whole ‘Christian’ thingy? Let’s quote a famous person:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. And to love your neighbour as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” (Matthew 12.30-33)
Someone once told me that when a group goes trekking up a hill, it is only as fast as the slowest member. That makes sense. Likewise, I think our love for God, our genuine love for our God, is only as true as the love we have for those we love the least. If we can allow ourselves to HATE another person then – like the unfit team member holding the entire group back – we CANNOT truly love God.
Father, forgive them, for they know not what they’re doing. Jesus said this whilst nails were being driven through his hands and feet. Love doesn’t get more real than that.
And now my burning qn is: why is it so hard to love? why is it hard to disregard how a person acts/thinks/looks, but to be able to look at him as God's child, as someone whom God loves and wants to have a relationship with?
Think God has actually told me the answer very clearly up to 3 times last week . The exact same message again and again He said: don't do it by your own strength. because the strength to love can only come from one source.
'Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.' 1 John 4:7-8
So I can proclaim and shout out loud how much I love God; I can sing aloud and lift my hands all I want during worship; I can testify to His blessings; I can attend all the bible studies, DCCF meetings, church; I can even set aside names I pray for everyday to be saved; but at the end of the day, I still won't know God because I have not even loved men, the simpliest command he has given us.
'A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.'
John 13:34-35.
Lord, give me strength to love. Amen.
