For the last 8 months or so, I've been trying to figure out the issue of loving people. Our lives should reflect 2 things, right: Love God, Love people. Those are 2 huge-big pieces and I'm really only willing to tackle 1 at a time.
But in reality, they go hand in hand because if you're doing one, it is a reflection of the other. Because if you're loving God, then it just flows that you will love people. It happens. And if you're loving people...well, it's just not possible without loving God, so that takes care of itself. But I guess if I'm going to go a bit more into that: If people are made in the image of God, then it follows that if you are loving people, you are loving God too. Right? That works. Logical, I think...
So then I started rambling about what I think love might be. An act of love--in the most general sense of the word--I think, might be a response to a need. It's one person's selfish action in response to another's need. And this follows the greatest example of an act of love that we have to be able to try to follow. Jesus responded to the need of man to be reconciled with God by a great sacrifice. So if that is the "greatest act of love," as I have so often heard it referred to, then our example is set. And it can be generalized even down to the smallest act of love.
It's pretty cool.
But beyond that, it was a selfless act. So, it wasn't go gain glory for Himself, but rather to allow for a means for things to be better for us. So He made himself less, so we might have a better time of it. So, with people, it's not even that I need to love them, but that I also need to assert them above myself.
Rough. But still cool.
This all seemed much more articulate when I was wandering through ideas with Andy. But I at least wanted to get it out before I forgot the whole gist of the conversation.
1 comment:
I think you're on to something. The word that came to mind was "humility". It's reasonably easy to be nice and sacrificial for those we except to do the same, but how on earth do you do that for those who can't give anything back? That's were true love is demonstrated. You wrote:
So, with people, it's not even that I need to love them, but that I also need to assert them above myself.
Actually, I think that genuinely putting others ahead of yourself is a way in which you can show your love for another person, and if you don't love them, to begin to learn to love them.
I discovered a number of years ago that sometimes loving another person is as simple as choosing to love them. Deciding itself can be a small action of love. I discovered this in the context of forgiveness. I found that when people were refusing to forgive someone who had hurt them, it was nearly impossible for them to pray for that person (other than, "God, change that person, make them repent!"). To pray that God would bless them, and to ask God for help in loving them, that was nearly impossible. But, if by God's grace they were able to begin that prayer, the resentment would have to give way to love, or the prayer would stop again.
That's an act of humility too, because I am putting the other persons needs, their wellbeing, ahead of my desire for restitution.
I think that putting other's first can even become like a little secret game between you and Jesus: "Hey Jesus, guess what! I'm going to give something up for that other person's benefit, and I won't even tell them about it!. If you make it like a secret game between you and Jesus, then it's also a way for you to love Jesus: "Hey Jesus, I love you so much that I'm going to do something nice for that person that you love. I'll try to make it look like it came straight from you though". But, if we make a big deal out of how much we're loving other people, we lose both of those benefits, because it just became about us, not about love.
Love always pours itself out; it never grabs things for itself. This is most clearly seen in the Cross, but even on a more mundane level: mothers literally give their bodies to grow and nourish their children. Wow, what an incredible way to love!! People who love like that become incredibly beautiful and attractive, in a more comprehensive sense of the word. I can never love like a mother can, but if that was my own wife, I'd see her love and find it so attractive that I'd be motivated to redouble my efforts to provide and care for her. To pour out my life in a different way for her, for my children -- that's one way I get to live out love.
Well, that's probably enough rambling for now.
Post a Comment