Today’s Daily Bread ~ Choosing to love…

Psalm 5:12 – For You bless the godly, O LORD, surrounding them with Your shield of love.

In the past year, I’ve given a lot of thought to the Lord’s notion of love.  Worldly love is seldom sacrificial, usually an adjective, and most commonly associated with the love one feels for their spouse, children, family and friends.  But in the past year, I’ve been asking God to take me further in.  I want to see others as He sees them; precious children of the Most High.  I want to love as He loves; putting the needs of others before my wants.  I would like to say this – I do not have this mastered.  Not even close.  But God is certainly giving me plenty of opportunities to practice.

I work in radio – certainly an industry involving creativity.  Periodically we’ll have brainstorming sessions to keep the content of our show new, fresh and relevant.  The other day, I threw out an idea that I thought might be fun.  Nothing crazy, we’d done this type of thing in the past, and I thought perhaps it was time to resurrect it.  Nope.

I’ve been shut down before.  Never as quickly as this.  One particular individual exclaimed immediately that it was “radio death, and an instant tune-out.”  I think this person stopped short of calling it the worst idea in the history of the world, but I’m not going to swear to that.

I was instantly embarrassed.  Actually, downright humiliated.  If my attendance hadn’t been required, I would’ve shrunk down into my shoes and scuffled myself on out of there.  Then I got angry.  One of my greatest fears is hurting someone’s feelings.  I would no sooner speak to someone like that than I would haul off and smack them across the face.  Wouldn’t happen.

As I sat there simmering, contemplating the frosty silent treatment I was about to impose (and coupled with my death glare, it is truly frightening), I felt Jesus’ Presence, as though He were standing right beside me.  “You can choose to love,” He whispered.  “I have freed You from anger.  You can choose grace.”  And I did.

Here is the truth.  Loving only those who love us isn’t what Jesus had in mind when He said, “I command you to love each other (John15:17).”  Luke 6:32 – “Do you think you deserve credit merely for loving those who love you?  Even the sinners do that!  And if you do good only to those who do good to you, is that so wonderful?  Even sinners do that much!”

I had a choice to make.  I could choose to let my feelings get hurt, choose to let my pride rise up in indignation.  I could choose to stew on the hurtful words, letting the seed of anger grow into resentment.  Or I could choose obedience.

Think about what it means to be called a “believer.”  It means we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God Almighty.  That He is God incarnate, born of a virgin to live a blameless life and die a sinners death.  It means we believe that He rose again on the third day, appeared to the disciples and at least 500 others, and ascended into heaven.  We believe that He will come again.  But it also means that we believe Him. 

Jesus was a radical man.  Everything He taught then and teaches today through the Holy Spirit is counter-intuitive.  Turn the other cheek!  When you loan money, don’t expect to get paid back!  Die to self!  Live for others!  If we do not believe those concepts, we cannot call ourselves believers.  If we do not make every sincere attempt to live those concepts out we are not Christ followers.

Do you know what happened the second I let those hurtful words go?  I felt peace.  Peace that surpasses understanding.  And with the help of the Holy Spirit, I felt compassion on that person.  I don’t think people lash out at someone unless they’re feeling poorly about themselves on some level.  Perhaps this person was simply exhausted, or angry about something completely unrelated.  It doesn’t matter.  Jesus told me to choose love.  I did…and I received the blessing.

Dear Heavenly Father, please help us not to hang on to offensive or hurtful words.  Please help us to loosen our grip on the past, and surrender it to You, so that we may experience complete healing.  We love You so much, God.  We know that there have been times that we have been the offenders, and we ask You to forgive us.  Help us to speak only life-giving words.  Help us to speak the truth in love.  Help us to see others as You see them, and to love others as You love them.  We thank You for Your Son, the perfect example of perfect love.  We pray these things in the blessed, holy name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.