“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
— John 3:16 (NIV)
This is probably the best known and most quoted verse in the Bible. As Christians, it defines us, gives us our hope, our joy, our strength, and our faith. This one verse describes everything we need to know to be saved. Forget everything else. It’s just noise blocking us from our truth. We are eternally loved and heaven bound! But wait a second.
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”
— John 14:6 (NIV)
Well, that changes things a bit. Because Jesus also said:
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”
— John 13:34 (NIV)
So the short version seems to be this: Jesus, in His own words, COMMANDED us to have the same love for each other as He has for us. Wow! And we can’t ask the Father for any reprieve or exception. Hmmm. We simply have no choice. We can’t avoid this commandment. But we have people in our lives that we (without hating) loath, abhor, despise, avoid, ignore, block out, gossip about, air THEIR dirty laundry! We refuse to acknowledge them in any way. Their past actions have dictated that we will NEVER forgive, forget, absolve, or tolerate them again. Now I understand that there are people we are protecting ourselves and our family from — those who might physically harm us. But everyone else? Those we don’t like or disagree with. They are just obnoxious, rude, selfish, self-centered, profane, hateful, politically incorrect... and the list is seemingly endless. We become relentless in our efforts to keep them out of our lives. This is acceptable, right?
But again, Jesus spoke.
“But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
— Matthew 5:44-45 (NIV)
“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.”
— Luke 6:27-28
But how? How do I love the person who just stole the most important thing in my life from me? What about the one who gossips about me, or the one who tells lies? There is no end to the offense we have been the target of. The most harmful have likely been from family members. The crazy Aunt that constantly berates me and despises me. The cousin who laughs at me because she thinks she’s better than me. Or worse, the step-parent who makes communication with my parent almost impossible, or mocks me or my faith. Tell me how I’m supposed to get past all the trauma, the memories, the pain? These people are hopeless, unrepentant, and unredeemable. Tell me that!
And He does. Without a word. Tears flowing as I type. Because He forgives me. His love for me is unequivocal. For every single thing I have ever done, said, felt, acted on, intentionally or accidentally. Whether I was remorseful, indifferent, or uncaring. Every single thing, for my entire life and for mistakes I haven’t even made yet, He has loved me, forgiven me. ME! Regardless of the offense. I am forgiven! I AM LOVED!
It has taken me many years to be able to recognize all of this. My inability to put these words together in my head and recognize His truth is unbelievable. But finally, He put this understanding in my heart. It didn’t happen in an instant, but it happened. I first felt Him moving in my relationship with Him — spending more time in the Bible and in quiet, peaceful prayers. It’s amazing how that works. When you make time for Him, He’s always there waiting for you. I started to see how much He has done for me. Even as unworthy as I am, He has never forgotten me or abandoned me. I am so grateful for His presence, His relentless pursuit of my heart, His grace, and patience. Looking back at my life, I see the many times He was there, but I took the credit. How many times He provided for me, but I considered it the result of my actions, of just good luck. I am so blessed by His kindness that now I cannot speak of His mercy in my life without tears of joy and gratitude. I hope a day comes when I can give my testimony to others without so many tears, but now I realize that is not a decision for me to make — it’s determined by His plan for me.
I now have a different view of people in my life. A view He is providing for me. I work very hard to see others as He has seen me. To love as He has loved me and to be merciful as He has shown me mercy. I have a very long way to go. I am constantly reminded that I am not perfect and not as loving as I should be, but I am learning. He is the teacher!
Let's grab a coffee. The Shepherd is speaking.