I still haven’t finished reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan.  No, I’m not a slow reader,  just working through some stuff as I go through the book.   This love thing has really gotten my panties in a twist.    Not about loving God, but about loving others.

Do you remember what Apostle Paul said in Galatians 5:6?   

What is important is faith expressing itself in love.

So, my takeaway from the Scripture and Francis’ writing is that just perhaps my faith isn’t all that I thought that it was.  Truth be told, I’ve been struggling with the ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ (Galatians 5:13-14) for sometime now.  I have to say that there are an awful lot of folks that I find fairly unloveable.  God has been ‘pinching’ me on this and making me to see just how judgemental I can be.  If Paul was correct (and I’m guessing that he was), my faith in God is meaningless unless I can love God in a way that extends to loving others.   There is also that whole ‘salt and light’ thing (Matthew 5:13-16).  It’s hard to season those around you if you dont’ even care about them enough to be around them… and… they certainly will not see my light hiding under a bushel. 

So what does one do?  I’ve been talking to God about this quite a bit lately.  I’ve asked him to change my heart and give me a passion for those who don’t think like me, worship like me, treat others as I think they should, etc.  James 4:8 does say to draw near to God and he will draw near to you.  The Psalmist wrote in  63:1-5…

O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you.  My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.  I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory.  Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you!  I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer.  You satisfy me more than the richest feast.  I will praise you with songs of joy.

I believe that if I can love God like this EVERY DAY, then I’ll have no trouble loving those fault-filled humans whom I see as unloveable.  In fact, I bet I can stop calling them unloveable.   After all, God did put me here, at this place, now… I am called to minister to those around me and be in community.  Hard to do when avoidance is my motto.  🙂

Be blessed!