Just Love
Why do we complicate the Christian life so? It seems that we spend so much time concentrating on what we don’t agree with and comparing one church to another, or one movement to another. We talk strategy, vision, and programs. We map out spiritual “hot spots” and analyze growth patterns. Even our praying and preaching must line up to a predetermined outline and a detailed power point. We run from meeting to meeting and practice to programs; all in our desire to serve the Lord. We go from excitement to disappointment, from caring to offending and from committing to quitting. This roller-coaster style of the Christian life leaves us exhausted and desiring of a “holiday” from it all. So, I ask you again: “Why do we complicate the Christian life so?
In a religious environment of over 600 laws and multiple traditions, Jesus reduced all of life’s obligations to just two: Love God with all you heart, and your neighbor as yourself. It is so simple. Why do we feel we must add to it? We all agree that love is the core message of the Gospel, but there is that tendency to add our “buts” and “ands” to the mix. It is the, “Love and…Love but…”, that makes it so complicated. As the saying goes, “Too many cooks spoil the broth”, so do too many spiritual professionals distort the Christian life. Is it that we think complicated is better than simple? Do we equate complicated with intelligence and simple with being unlearned? If it is just love that Jesus is after, then the problem rests not in the peripherals, but in understanding what love really is.
Jesus said to love God and to love others. Note, that there is nothing about being loved or getting anything in return. Just a one-sided, you love. The problems result from the expectations one attaches to our loving. Even the simple expectation of gratefulness can generate a series of judgmental thoughts and hurt feelings. Helen and I know a lady in our town, whom we have helped from time to time. She has needed food, furniture and clothes and we have willingly supplied these needs, but not once has she ever said a simple, “thank you”. After some time, we just turned off the love tap. Were we right in doing this? No. Love does not expect anything in return. It is unconditional. Was she right in not being grateful? No, but that is not our concern. Our responsibility is to love, period.
Jackie De Shannon’s 1965 hit song, “What the World Needs Now Is Love”, says it like it is: “What the world needs now is love, sweet love. It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.” The love of Father God for this fallen, sinful world was made manifest in His sending of His Son to take upon Himself our sins and to die in our place. Love is giving. He fed the multitudes and washed the disciples’ feet. Love is serving. Jesus ministered to Samaritans, Gentiles and Jews alike. Love is joining. He took time to hold a child and eat with the vilest of sinners. Love is listening and caring. I Corinthians 13 continues this description of what love is, and yet not once does it talk about being loved.
The best cure loneliness is to love others. Find someone who cannot give you anything in return and love on them. When expectations turn to hurts and feelings to offence, ask yourself if you are walking in love? Don’t judge the other person. Just love.
Scriptures to meditate on:
John 3.16; I John 3.16; Mat. 22.37-40; I Cor. 13; II Cor. 5.14; Gal. 5.6