Today is day three of the #iheartBible challenge that I’m hosting. If you have joined up, hooray! I’m glad you’re here. If you want to join up, then awesomesauce. Check out the challenge post for details and join in on the linky so we can all read one another’s posts during the challenge. I love Jesus and blogging, so I’m glad to see people joining in. We’d love to have you join, too.
Today’s verse is 1 John 4.19. It is below in its context. (Why am I worried about context!?)
13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
I am socially selective. There. I said it. It’s true. It’s sad. But, it is how I roll naturally.
This doesn’t mean that I only choose the coolest person to befriend. It just means that I inspect my social options and then pounce on being friends with someone who I find most agreeable. Least irritating. There’s just no way to say that nicely, is there? This is just me being real. This is my struggle. And it’s ugly.
But what this does mean is that I will give everything I have once I befriend that person and feel the friendship reciprocated. I love it. I delight in it. And I’m rewarded by the appreciation others express in return.
But that’s not what this verse is about. It’s not about loving the ones we want to love.
We choose our friends, but we don’t choose our siblings. We don’t choose who God puts in front of us. We don’t get to choose who He wants us to love.
This is the challenge, right? We love others–not because we want to. Not because we feel like it. But because Jesus loved us first. He did. He loved us to [His] death.
So, we express Christ when we love the difficult ones. When we love despite our feelings, emotions, preferences, and situation. If we say we love God but don’t willingly love everyone, we lie. We pretend to love God when we really love ourselves more.
And you have already read this. I struggle with this. Some times more than others. Other times more than some times. Ha! For real, though. This is tough. I’m so polarized in this realm.
One friend of mine voted me most likely to throw her a birthday party. Others who are around me wonder if I hate all things. (Well, I suspect that’s what some wonder…).
Add this to the list of the plethora of Bible things I just don’t have down yet. Call me a liar. Just do it.
The liar,
