It’s that time of year again. The Christmas hustle and bustle by nature
requires us to come face to face with
the masses of consumers, which is about enough to cause anyone to go into deep
holiday despair. More than that, it
becomes a time when we really evaluate our friendships and our relationships
with family, the people around us, and those we wish were still here with us. THIS
is what makes Christmas hard. It’s an in
depth look at the friendships I injured with unloving words, the people I knowingly
withheld love from, and those whom I loved poorly. Not that all
is lost, there are a few good reflections of those whom I loved well. And then there are those no longer living,
whom we wish we could show love to and be loved by once again. Loving people: why is it so hard?
So when my pastor covers that
verse, the one where Jesus commands us to love one another as He loved us?
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
John 13:34
Ugh.
Talk about a heavy hitter, and I am quick to start reasoning why I’m good
at loving some, and why I’m not good at loving others. If this is His greatest command? I am quick
to feel disqualified from being a follower of Christ. I’ve tried
loving better, extending myself to those I wouldn’t normally, turning the other
cheek when I’ve been struck, and not saying the hurtful things I’d love to just
let roll off the tongue at times. And
yet, I still get uneasy every time I read verses about how loving God means
loving others, and loving others means loving God.
“Whoever loves God must also love his
brother.” 1 John 4:21
Don’t you just want to keep reading more
verses in hopes that He’ll give us some exceptions? But NO,
instead He continues to tell us to do it like He did…and He died…for people who
were rude and unkind to Him…people who hated
Him!
So what gives? Why
would God give us a command that feels impossible to achieve? Let me share from
my pastor’s sermon (you can find the link below), and I’ll be paraphrasing, but
it is the key to fulfilling this command.
Jesus doesn’t command the impossible to disqualify me, instead He invites
me into a deeper relationship with Him where He equips me to do the
impossible: love the impossible. Our ability to love others is simply a
byproduct of loving Him.
Contrary to every love song ever written: love is
more than just a feeling, it is learned.
This is why growing into a
deeper relationship with Christ allows us to better love those around us. Who better to learn love from than the One
who created it? As Ps. Mike put it, “our branches will never
outgrow our roots.” So if you also feel
like you’re struggling to love others, may I invite you to grow deeper in your
relationship with Christ? You can do
this by spending time in your Bible… His story written for you. Spend time with other Christians who will be
good mentors. And pray. Only then
can we fulfill the impossible: loving
others the way Christ loves us…and that is fruit I’d like to bear more of.
Father,
Forgive me for not loving others in the way you’ve
commanded. Forgive me for trying to love
them out of my own strength! Please help
me to grow deeper in You, that loving others would be an extension of who you
are within me. Thank you for giving us
Your story, and the freedom to draw close to you.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
XO,
Jackie E
Caution: Loving others and having healthy boundaries are NOT mutually exclusive. If you have found yourself in an abusive relationship of any sort, please seek help on how to place/enforce healthy boundaries in these relationships.
Burnette, M. (2016). The Book of John: A New Command [video]. Retrieved from http://www.lifepointclarksville.com/sermonarchive/the-book-of-john-a-new-command/
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