Loving Others

"For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another." (1 John 3:11 KJV)

Quite often, I try to imagine what the world would be like if everyone actually attempted to love one another. Being sinful human beings that can be pretty tough at times. It is tough to love when a person is being abused or neglected. Sometimes, it is tough for them to even love themselves when the people that should care about them consistently put them down and work to destroy them. They begin to think that they really are not worthy of love.

But, God considers us all worthy of love. He wants us to live in the knowledge and the reality of his love. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

According to St. Paul: "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom 8:5)

It can be very difficult to love those who hate you and persecute you; but, it may be worth the effort. It also might mean that you have to distance yourself from others so that you don't get pulled into a situation of fear, anger, or outright hatred. It is much easier to love when you aren't being abused. It would be nice if abusers would learn to love others as well. But, we live in the world and for now, in most cases, that's not happening. 

As Christians, we should love one another. We should love even our enemies.  Jesus said: "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.." (Matt 5:43-44)

Alas, sometimes (often) it is easier to love our enemies and our frienemies with a measured amount of distance between us. At times like these we can still love. We do not have to live in resentment or hatred. We can bless them by praying that their hearts might be changed. 

We should do all that we can to show love one another even as God has shown us that he loves both our enemies and even us in spite of our sinful ways.

God's Peace - Pr. J.

When You Abuse Others; You Abuse Jesus

 

     “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

   “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

   “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

   “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’"

                                                                                                      Matthew 25:37-46 NIV

I have had a lot to think about over night. I spent yesterday at the Sheriff's Department in Domestic Violence Training for clergy. I've been around for awhile so I'm pretty well aware of all of the symptoms and signs of abuse as I have witnessed a lot of it. But, I needed some help in what I, as a pastor, could possible do about it. How do I confront it in a way that is helpful to the survivor (and prayerfully there is a survivor)?

Often Christian survivors of abuse will make excuses; justify the abuser's actions, by using misperceived notions about what God demands of them in a relationship. They actually use scripture to justify the abuser's actions. They assume that God would want them to keep the vows that they made to obey the other without considering that Jesus has commanded us to love one another. Abuse is not love. We are to love one another even as Jesus loves us. Jesus does not and has not ever abused us. He has only loved us so unconditionally that he was willing to be abused for us! When someone abuses the person they have promised to love for the rest of their lives they have already broken the covenant that's been made between the two of them. The survivor should not feel as though they bear the burden of guilt for the broken covenant. (Psalms 55:20-21)

Jesus told the disciples and he tells us that what we do to others, and that includes our spouses, we do to Jesus. Would you really assault Jesus? Would you make excuses for anyone abusing Jesus?

What we do to others we do to Jesus!

May God teach us to love Him and others even as He loves us all.

God's Peace - Pr. J