Jesus said, “By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” – John 13:35 (NIV)
There are a few people in my life whose attitudes make it really challenging for me to love them. They all have the same things in common: they’re always playing the victim; everything bad that happens to them is always someone else’s fault. They’re consumed with themselves, seldom considering the struggles of others. They’re never wrong. And they live with an overwhelming sense of entitlement.
Outside of that, they’re nice people.
But I’m not responsible for their outlook on life. And that’s a good thing. I have a full time job trying to keep my own attitude pleasing to God.
I am, however, commanded by Christ to love them. And not just on those rare days when they’re pleasant, or when it’s convenient.
ALL. THE. TIME.
“If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.” – Matthew 5:46-48 (NIV)
This is so hard for me. And it’s hard because I just struggle to remember what Christ did for me, ALL. THE. TIME.
By this, everyone will know that you’re my disciple, Scott. And “by this” doesn’t mean by smiling at people who smile at you. “By this” doesn’t mean if you decide to not flip off the driver who wouldn’t let you merge. “By this” means exactly what I said: “if you love one another.”
All of a sudden, there’s a huge difference between being polite and loving someone, even on their worst day.
That’s Jesus’ standard. Even on my worst day, when I’m the one most unlovable, he loves me. That’s what real love is. It is more than just being courteous. It’s more than just not returning evil with evil. It’s caring about people. Sometimes it’s going out of my way to be helpful. Sometimes it’s taking a moment to listen to someone complain about their bills or their job or their personal problems. And sometimes it is all of these things to the very people who I feel deserve it the least.
Brant Hansen, one of my favorite Christian authors, said:
“When you’re living in the reality of the forgiveness you’ve been extended, you just don’t get angry with others easily.”
To live in the reality of the forgiveness that has been extended to me; that’s essentially what Jesus said. Live in the reality of what I’ve done for you, and extend that same love and forgiveness to others.
This is how we stand out in a culture that desperately needs to hear the truth today about Jesus. But it’s meaningless to speak to others about the love and forgiveness of Christ if they cannot see it in us.
“For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.” – James 1:23-24 (NKJV)
Former Blackout Artist 