This is something that I've pondered upon lately. No doubt we all have different ideas about what Christianity is, and while I'm not new to Christianity, I've started to reevaluate my own walk. Who am I? What is it that I should represent? How does my walk reflect Jesus Christ?
First of all, we know that Christianity is based on a belief in Jesus Christ as the Savior and Son of God. When we look at the life and teachings of Jesus. One thing always stands out: LOVE. Love is what is at the heart of the gospels, but what is LOVE? While we ponder what love IS, let's ponder what love is NOT. If we look at the Scriptures in I Corinthians 13 that love "doesn't envy, boast, isn't proud, rude, selfish, easily angered, doesn't keep a record of wrongs, doesn't delight in evil." How many times have my words said one thing, but my heart, my thoughts, my actions said something different? How many times have we been proud to be a Christian. So proud that we alienate others who are not Christians. How many times have we boasted in our possessions and envying those who have more than we do? How many times have we jumped to conclusions, been quick to bite some one's head off, made a rude comment to someone because they didn't do their job to our satisfaction, or kept a list of times a person has done us wrong only to turn it on them like a knife?
To be full of love, means that that love will spill out onto others. See the Scriptures say to love our neighbor, not a selective few. It is so easy to love those that love you, but instead we should love those that don't love us, in fact, we should love those that reject our love, because ultimately that is the love of the Father. He loved us while we rejected Him. Not only did He love us, but He gave us the most precious sacrifice that He could give. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
The Father never gave up on us; He never pre-judged us that we were not worth the effort, or assumed we wouldn't be interested in His grace. Were it not for His grace and goodness, we would have had no hope. Have you given up on someone in Your own life, because it was too difficult to love them? Did you feel like there was no hope for them? That they were too far gone? Remember that Christ died for You and me, but for that person as well. It is not up to us to decide who is too far gone. It is only our job to love. Here is what love is: "Love is patient, kind, rejoices in the truth, protects, trusts, hopes, perseveres, and never fails." How is your love today? If you are low on love, it's time to reexamine your walk with Christ. To truly follow Him is to love without reservation, without discrimination, and without limitation. "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren...” (1 John 3:14).
