Do Our Lives of Christ Live a Life of Love?

A few days ago while out running  errands, a young mother hurried past me, she had two little ones , one in her arms the other trailing behind her a bit. My heart went out to her as I wondered to myself does she know the Lord. Has someone shared with her the Loving Grace and life changing, life giving words to give her a hope and a future. Not knowing her background, my heart still broke for her, I felt Gods love fill me for this woman!

  What would this world look like, if we as Christ followers truly lived out the words of Jesus daily? Yesterday while writing up this, the lyrics to an old hymn came to me and I kept singing them repeatedly over in my head. The song is by Peter Scholtes:” They Will Know We Are Christians by Our love”

The lyrics go like this: We are one on the spirit; we are one in the Lord. We are one in the spirit, we are one in the Lord and we pray one day our unity will one day be restored and they will know e are Christians by our love  by our love yes they will know we are Christians by our love.

  Though a old hymn, the words still ring true and speak, so many divisions among Christians fighting over the littlest things, divisions among our Christian brothers and sisters who are suppose to be our family in Christ. If we can’t get along with one another, how are we going to show Christ love to the none believer? What message are we sending? If one who is searching looks at us, sees the discord and lack of unity, and thinks, there is no real difference there with these people vs the ones I interact with daily in my own life, which is what the one searching is thinking!

   If we are living in this world, but not of this world, but to be set apart like the city on the hill, be the light that shines in the darkest of nights! We are commanded to in the scriptures Matthew 28;16-20  tells us to go out to all the world, and make disciples. Nevertheless, to do that with a Christlike   way about us means to first go out and show love to the we see as difficult to get along with, love them anyway, go out of our way to see the hurting, the needs of others, be willing to listen to their story and sit down and give them your time.

 We want our family and loved ones to see the light, to experience all the Great things God has in store for them, and have them experience it for themselves. We want them to have the same hope we have.  Why  so many turned off to the love of God? Why do so many turn their backs to us when we share the gospel? Could it be the ways were going about what god commands of us? We are on a mission, but its so much more than that, it is not for our gain, our pat on the back! Life is difficult there is no denying that, but having Jesus to hold us together gives us the strength to face our trails with the joy of the Lord. It’s so much harder without Christ!

 I know for myself, though I have been a Christian since a very young age, if it had not been for Jesus and his power in my life, I might be dead, He gave me that hope! He gave me a purpose, first to love and serve Him. However, use my past hurts for my way to minister to the lost, hurting people God brings across my paths!

  Think of love in action and these different situations. How many times have you been at church and seen, someone who has visited a couple of times, but because  its not their first time  and your busy doing responsibilities, you don’t get a chance to even say hello, or your wrapped up in a conversation with a close friend. you just don’t take a moment to say hello, you think someone else will do it what message are we sending  them? We pray that we all have the attitude of Christ, that all who walk through the doors will experience his love through the kindness we show.  We do not carry through, for whatever reason. What if that same person is a non-believer, searching and comes through the door the very first time, and we do not make that effort to seek them out and introduce ourselves, what if we were that persons only glimpse of Jesus until that moment, and then they walk out and they die tomorrow. God knows their heart.

   WE failed as Christians because we need to seize every opportunity that God places in front of us! We all fall short,  I have many times and I’m a work in progress like you all! What if that person turns away from God because the hurt they experienced, what then..Well we will answer to Jesus on Judgment day when we stand before His throne! What about the person at work, who you have become friends with in work, they know you are a Christian, you do not agree with their lifestyle, whatever it may be, but instead of loving them as Christ loves them. You  put on your holier than though attitude and climb up into the judgment seat, who are you to judge?  What Love will they know, by harsh words and throwing scriptures at them? They will not! No sin is greater than another is!

   That reminds me  of a quote by: Mother Teresa  and it says”  words which do not give the light of Christ increase the darkness” wow that’s so true, if those we are trying to reach are already in darkness and we try to approach them with a attitude of hate   because the way they live or because we feel were better than them, then  we need to sit back and examine our hearts.  Think about the 1 Corinthians 13 and what Love is which is the sacrifice of self?

  When we come in contact with others and trying to reach them, share your story, its away they can relate and when you listen, they will see you care enough to share in their life and their struggles! We need to step down and let Christ speak through us and for us! Be transparent! Knowing the scriptures and knowledge of them is important, but its not THE MOST important, the most important is loving God and loving others! So we don’t need to shove knowledge to people when we’re witnessing to them, as the relationship grows and they start asking questions, that’s when we start lovingly sharing a few scriptures with them. To love like Christ looks a lot different from what a lot of times we portray! Jesus sat with the prostitute and the tax collectors. I will close with this quote~”To love someone means to see him as God intended him!” by Fyodor Dostoevsky