Got Love?

"By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another." ~John 13:35 So many people have forgotten what true love is. Continue reading below if you or someone you know need to be reminded.

Here's a little food for thought. Lately, I have noticed a real lack of love, especially in those who profess to be followers of Christ. From the hoarding of necessities to the rise in violence and bloodshed, there is this self-seeking mentality running rampant that does not allow the love of God to work in us nor impact the world in any meaningful way. I am over so-called Christians living their lukewarm lives while misrepresenting Christ and what Christianity is all about.

Our cutoff game should not be stronger than our ability to love...

Christianity is not about performing good deeds to be seen and praised by others, it is not about pointing out the flaws in others yet not being open to correction ourselves, it is not about telling people that you are going to pray for them yet not having a praying bone in your body, it is not about wearing a certain type of clothing or not wearing make-up, it is not about being one person to the world while you are a different person behind closed doors.

Christianity is about seeking to understand others, it is about doing good and not evil to everyone, it is about being mindful of the impact that your words and actions have on someone else, it is about being honest and transparent about your struggles, it is about serving others and being whole enough to build healthy relationships, it is about determining that God's standards and His words are true and He has the final authority in your life no matter what you may think or feel, it is about displaying the character of God in the good times and the bad.

How can you display the character of Jesus if you don’t know Him? How can you know Him if you don’t spend time with Him? This is why having a relationship with Christ is so important because we do not even have a "walk" if we do not have a relationship with Him. Relationships require us to be selfless, to be patient, to forgive, and to put others' needs before our own. Many have gotten this twisted, which is why we hear all of these messages about cutting someone off and new year, new me which ends up equating ending relationships. This is not always the heart of God and it has become so normalized that it has risen up a culture that only knows how to shut down or run away instead of deal with issues and as such, we don’t know how to operate in or hold relationships sacred anymore.

If someone says anything to us that is not to our liking, we see it as them hating, them being unloving, or an attack in some way and we feel as if we do not need that person in our lives any longer. What we are seeing is the Word in action. The bible is clear that because iniquity will abound, the love of many will wax cold (Matthew 24:12). This is what has contributed to being so careless in our dealings with others and made it easier for us to cut people off. Every scenario that we see playing out in the world today has a searchable and surefire response that can be found in scripture.

The love of many has waxed cold and it's not likely to return anytime soon. The reason we do not know this is because preachers do not speak on this in the pulpit. Many of our men and women of God are prophesying all kinds of niceties, manipulating impressionable and baby Christians to give them all of their money, and have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof (2 Timothy 3:5). False religion has been intertwined with the Word of God, lies have been mixed with Truth, and many are just blindly following movements as an emotional response. It’s about time we got off of the fence and chose a side to be on so that we can start to acknowledge, address, and change the things that we are able to change. If you are a born-again believer, you need to begin seeking the Lord for understanding, as it pertains to His Word, and seek wisdom on how to move in this season. True wisdom and understanding can only come from God.

People are valuable and as such, relationships are also valuable. God has standards and He has much to say in response to our dealings with others. Unconditional, undefiled, and unadulterated love cannot dwell where pride resides. Much like oil and water, pride and love do not mix. Like oil which is hydrophobic, pride is love-phobic (or to be more technical philophobia). Pride causes us to place conditions on our love but God’s love is never conditional. Jesus did not die for us to love others conditionally! If you truly believe that God is love then this suggests that many who claim the name of Christ have no part in Him. We are commanded to walk in His ways but we cannot walk in something that we have not become acquainted with. As such, the love of God cannot flow through them because it is not a part of their DNA. Some have been walking in pride for so long that they do not even realize they are in it or worse, they do not see this pride as a problem.

God's love is so pure that we cannot begin to wrap our limited, carnal minds around it. This is why the Word of God tells us that our minds must be renewed. This is a continual process, not a one-time deal but that is another discussion for another day. This truth may go over certain ones’ heads however, some things can only be received by the Spirit. Don’t take my word for it, read the bible, spend time with God, and seek the Lord in everything that you see, hear, and do. There is always something to learn, something to receive, and something new that God wants to reveal to us through His Word and the Holy Spirit. It is only when we do what it says in Matthew 6:33 and “seek first the Kingdom” and seek the wisdom, understanding, and righteousness of God, that our minds can be renewed, we can be delivered from bondage, and we can walk in liberty and unconditional love toward everyone.