Love God.
"I can't love anyone." Jolene said quietly.
"Why not? I mean... What gave you that idea?" I was a little shocked and genuinely curious. Not to mention a bit concerned.
"Because.... I don't know... I can't love my mom when she nags, I can't love the little children in Cambodia as much as I would want to, I can't love my team mate who stays with me." Her tone was sad as the words left her lips.
Then I began to ask. "What is love?" Sure... Its written in Corinthians. But... What does it mean? To love people. To love God. What did all that mean?
Sometime back in Thailand, I found it difficult to love those who had irritated me and found it difficult to bear with someone who had annoyed me. How was I to love them? How was I to love God? I asked myself. Do I love God? I mean.. Like REALLY love him?
Went out today with the crusaders for Jason's birthday. Over supper at Swensens, Kenneth shared about his girlfriend and the issue of dating and love. He said love wasn't a feeling. Because if it was.. It would have been conditional. That he didn't end up with his girlfirend, because he "loved her" but because people around were suggesting that they'd make a good couple. His testimony was that he had given the relationship to God, even to the point of giving it up only to have God give it back to him.
Junbin told me the same thing on the train back from church. That when he was mission tripping in Japan, he asked the locals what they thought about unconditional love, and whether or not it exisited. To his surprised, many of them professed their opinion of love to be unconditional. If it wasn't, it wasn't love.
If love was conditional, Jesus might not have forgiven those people who had crucified him.
But yet, as he stared down from the cross to the faces down below, he asked God to forgive them. Then Junbin asked me:" Would you have forgiven them, if it was you on the cross? Do you love them that much?" I couldn't answer him, only nod in a silent agreement that it would be humanly impossible.
Today the sermon at FCBC spoke to me as I prayed for understanding. In last chapter of John, Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love me?" To which Peter replied "Yes Lord."
Jesus asked him three times, and told him 3 different things.
1. Feed my lambs
2.Take care of my sheep
3.Feed my sheep
Then I knew. That was how I should love. That love was a commitment, not a feeling. That love came from God. That I had to do these things, if I truly love God.
"Why not? I mean... What gave you that idea?" I was a little shocked and genuinely curious. Not to mention a bit concerned.
"Because.... I don't know... I can't love my mom when she nags, I can't love the little children in Cambodia as much as I would want to, I can't love my team mate who stays with me." Her tone was sad as the words left her lips.
Then I began to ask. "What is love?" Sure... Its written in Corinthians. But... What does it mean? To love people. To love God. What did all that mean?
Sometime back in Thailand, I found it difficult to love those who had irritated me and found it difficult to bear with someone who had annoyed me. How was I to love them? How was I to love God? I asked myself. Do I love God? I mean.. Like REALLY love him?
Went out today with the crusaders for Jason's birthday. Over supper at Swensens, Kenneth shared about his girlfriend and the issue of dating and love. He said love wasn't a feeling. Because if it was.. It would have been conditional. That he didn't end up with his girlfirend, because he "loved her" but because people around were suggesting that they'd make a good couple. His testimony was that he had given the relationship to God, even to the point of giving it up only to have God give it back to him.
Junbin told me the same thing on the train back from church. That when he was mission tripping in Japan, he asked the locals what they thought about unconditional love, and whether or not it exisited. To his surprised, many of them professed their opinion of love to be unconditional. If it wasn't, it wasn't love.
If love was conditional, Jesus might not have forgiven those people who had crucified him.
But yet, as he stared down from the cross to the faces down below, he asked God to forgive them. Then Junbin asked me:" Would you have forgiven them, if it was you on the cross? Do you love them that much?" I couldn't answer him, only nod in a silent agreement that it would be humanly impossible.
Today the sermon at FCBC spoke to me as I prayed for understanding. In last chapter of John, Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love me?" To which Peter replied "Yes Lord."
Jesus asked him three times, and told him 3 different things.
1. Feed my lambs
2.Take care of my sheep
3.Feed my sheep
Then I knew. That was how I should love. That love was a commitment, not a feeling. That love came from God. That I had to do these things, if I truly love God.
posted by Jon Lame at 9:48 AM
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