Afraid to Love

   What does love mean to you? I'm not going to answer that question for you, but keep that in the back of your mind while you read this. 

   We live in a day where we are always running around. We're busy with work. We're busy with school. We're busy with the latest social media post that our favorite (insert here) has just released. On top of all that, we're busy with what the world thinks of us. Whether we really realize it or not, we want to fit in with the norm. Some things are superficial, like hair, clothes, and accessories (just compare the 90s to present). However, some things are much more important. Those type of things can be included in religious beliefs, political agendas, and how we treat everyone around us. 

   Why does it all matter?

We want to fit in with the norm.

   Day in, day out. We are constantly bombarded with the opinions and suggestions of others. All this noise is presented to us, and we filter through them based on our convictions (which are subject to change as well). Thus, we're left to our own devices to figure out our opinions on the world. Or are we?

God has left us His Word for a reason.

   Believe it or not, God actually has all the answers to our problems in His Word! He not only gave us this gift to show Christ to us so that we could be saved, but He gives so much more than that. In fact, if we take certain principles from Scripture, we find that God is more than able to help and guide us. There are even truths that shed light on topics today such as abortion and homosexuality. If we really want to know what God would have us to do, He will provide what we need. But how does this tie into love?

Are we afraid to love?

There are so many passages in Scripture that talk about love. We have "Love your enemies," and "Love your neighbor as yourself," that are perhaps the most quoted when we talk about loving others. These are all wonderful verses, but I feel like that because they are so well-known, they have lost meaning to us. 

   I read this quote the other day. I'm not sure who said it, but it has some principles that I would like to pull from.

   "If we remembered everyday that we could lose someone at any moment, we would love them more fiercely and freely, and without fear-not because there is nothing to lose, but because everything can always be lost."

   This is such a beautiful quote, but I would like to add some thoughts to it.

How are we supposed to love?

   Love like Jesus. He is the ultimate example for us to follow, and such a perfect one as well. Do we ever think about some of these instances like this?

• Jesus could've skipped healing that man on the seventh day. He knew it would cause turmoil between Him and the religious leaders of that day. He could've stuck to the norm. Instead, He chose to do what His Father wanted and loved sacrificially.
• Jesus could've not loved and taught his disciples. He knew that Judas Iscariot was going to betray Him. He knew Peter was going to deny Him. He also knew that all the others were going to desert Him. However, He knew that even while they would do this, they would also do many things to further the cause of Christ. He could've stuck to the norm. Instead, He chose to do what His Father wanted and loved sacrificially.
• Jesus could've not died for the world. He knew many were not going to believe on Him, but He loved us so much that He still made way for those who would. He knew His way of life was not the norm, and neither would anyone else's if they turned to Him. However, His love overpowered all those reasons. He could've stuck to the norm. Instead, He chose to do what His Father wanted and loved sacrificially. 

   Have you ever thought about it that way before? If we were contemplating helping someone, and we knew it would upset leaders today, would we still do it? If we knew our friends and loved ones were going to desert us in our darkest moment would we still invest so much time into those relationships? Would we be willing to die for the sins of the world so that a fraction of them could know God? To stick to the norm today, those answers would be no every time.  

What exactly did Christ do for us?

   To answer this, we really need to read one of my favorite passages. Romans 5, in general, is so good, but I'll pull the section that is really my favorite for you to read here. If you have time, I will encourage you to read all of it, though. 

   "Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has ben given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person-though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die-but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:3-8 (emphasis added)

    My dad used this analogy in one of his sermons. In verse seven, it says, "For one will scarcely die for a righteous person- though perhaps for a good person one would dare to die-." He used the book/movie The Princess Bride as his illustration. Westley was devoted to Princess Buttercup; so much so that he was willing to die for her. He dared to die for the person he loved. When we take that into perspective, though, would we die for an acquaintance? Would we die for a random stranger on the street? Would we die for the whole world? (Not to say that if we died for the world that it would bring about the same thing that Christ did)

   Paul uses verse seven to bring that realization into our hearts. How hard was it for Christ to die for us? Yet, he did it willingly. He left the norm and did what His Father wanted; He loved sacrificially.

How does this affect me?

   Jesus was never afraid to love. He always put other's needs before His. He didn't even live a long life. Thirty-three years to be exact. However, He showed more love in His lifetime than any one of us could ever hope to show. He put His reputation on the line for His Father's will. How convicting is that?

   To amend the quote, as I said I would do before, I would say it this way:

   "If we remembered everyday the love that Christ showed us, and that at any given moment we could lose someone, we would love everyone more fiercely and freely, and without fear-not because there is nothing to lose, but because Christ's love has made such an impact on our lives that we want to share it with others."

 
   What does love mean to you? Are you afraid to love? Or are you willing to love like Christ loved? Will you love with your life?