Jesus Himself said that love is the mark of His genuine followers. “By this will all people know you are my disciples – that you love another.”  You’re nodding your head in agreement, right?  Yet, think about it.
We are capable of ripping each other to shreds over when our traditions are threatened, our comfort impeded, or our beliefs challenged.
When a Christian fails or falters, observe the cruel, loveless judgments that come flooding on social media.
I have been appalled by the public musings of so many conservative Christians about various subjects that show hearts and minds that are anything but loving!

Love can be fragile, too, can’t it? Everyone knows the pain of a failed friendship. An angry word is spoken, a misunderstanding blows in like a summer thunderstorm, offense takes hold and becomes a fortress wall. A friend becomes an enemy and the wound goes deep! The love once enjoyed mysteriously turns into a bitter hatred.

Even familial love fails! Sons and mothers do not speak over some insignificant slight. Lovers who once could not stand to be apart for a moment become enemies who actively desire the destruction of each other.

So, can we really love? Is love just a mirage or momentary emotion or is it a profound choice for life, a way we learn to live to know the highest and best of the promises of Jesus?

One of the best books I have ever read on the complicated subject of human relationships is titled – Bold Love- (Dr. Dan Allender, NavPress, 1993). One of his assertions is that ‘love is not natural.‘

Allender writes, “There is an enormous drive in the fallen human personality that impedes the process of learning to love and an equally powerful force outside of every person that labors to destroy every effort to love. … Complacency and presumption work hand-in-hand to blind even Christians to the importance of love and inherent battle involved in learning to love. IF we are to learn to love, we must begin with an acknowledgment that love is not natural and that love’s failure is not easy to admit.”

Let me rephrase that paragraph!
Sin and selfishness work inside of us and the Devil works outside of us- conspiring against love’s birth and/or survival. Then, too, there is the false belief that love does not need daily care. Neglect allows it to cool until it dies, all the while we live in denial of the truth!

The only way we learn to love and remain loving is to be renewed constantly in the love of Christ! “We love each other because he loved us first.” (1 John 4:19, NLT) Authentic and deep love like that of Jesus requires dying to Self. He insists that “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other.” (Matthew 6:24, NLT) We cannot love God and ourselves at the same time. We cannot love others deeply while selfishly serving our own needs, either!

Is love challenged in your life?

Before you form a fist and attempt to force a change, go to your knees! Let the Lord of Love, love you!
Before you pray, “God make them change!” give the Holy Spirit full access to your heart and mind and let Him change you! Before you walk away, expressing hatred through cool contempt, ask God to help you love others – the same way that He loves you.

Love is a force for change that is more powerful than any weapon ever devised by human beings. At the same time, genuine Christ-like love often appears to be weak on the surface as we seek to understand others, when we are gentle and allow ourselves to be vulnerable. In fact, real love leaves us open to real HURT. C.S. Lewis wrote, “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken.”

The word from the Word- “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” … “There are three things that will endure—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7,13, NLT)

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