My dear children, let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love. This is the only way we’ll know we’re living truly, living in God’s reality. It’s also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
In her newly revised book, Interrupted*, Christian author/speaker Jen Hatmaker says of the ministry that she and her husband, Brandon, began...”We accepted that the first reaction we should anticipate was skepticism, and the only bridge through that chasm was through sustained, genuine relationships. Care of our fellow man, locally and globally, was our best hope to attract people to our Jesus, far more effective than cool music or impersonal hang-outs. As missionaries have always understood, the key is to study the culture you are passionate about reaching and submerge into that space with respect and love.” Hatmaker describes some of the “postmodern gospel standards” she is noticing...characteristics that many of us might not readily equate with Christian love and ministry in action:
- A sense of global community and care for suffering humanity
- Respect for our earth and its resources
- Authenticity valued over appearance
- A passion for community and honest relationships
- Responsibility and the rejection of consumerism
"Talk is cheap." We’ve all heard this phrase...yet we continue to throw words at others and hope they stick. Too many of us are all talk and no action. In the South, we say “Bless your heart” and hope that this conveys our empathy and compassion for the other guy. This phrase is clean, easy, multi-purpose - and relatively painless. And quite frankly, these words are also pretty much worthless. The same goes for “I’m praying for you”...because, often, we’re not...and “I wish there was something I could do to help”...because we really don’t wish this at all!
My cousin Janette told me recently that she is trying to “live with intention”...meaning that she is focusing her time and energy on doing things with purpose. She is making an effort to be keenly aware of what she is doing...and why. And this ties in perfectly with the message of John 3:18-20 and Jen Hatmaker’s book, Interrupted. We have pretty well mastered “talking the talk”...but how many of us are “walking the walk”?
Are we practicing the real love of Jesus...or are we merely giving Him lip service? Do we truly care about the people in our neighborhoods...at work, school, and in the community/world at large? Or are we content to say, “Bless their hearts” and move on with our lives? There IS a difference – and it is HUGE...game changing...KINGDOM changing for all involved!
I’ve quoted the phrase many times that “People don’t care what you know until they know that you care.” If we do this “love in Christ” thing right, no words will even be necessary (although it’s always nice to hear “I love you”!). When you tell someone you love them...do they know this already? Will your actions toward them back up your claim? Don’t you think they should?
©2014 Debbie Robus
*Interrupted... When Jesus Wrecks Your Comfortable Christianity ~ ©2014 Jen Hatmaker
http://www.navpress.com/Interrupted-Jesus-Wrecks-Comfortable-Christianity/dp/1631463535#sthash.5x2ghUnb.dpbs
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