Commanded to Love

AlI I need to do is love my neighbor, right?  Loving those I know, folks in my family, people I have chosen as friends is easy. That kind of love comes naturally.  Anyone can love like that and we all do.  In fact, I often show this kind of love without even trying or being aware of it. But these are not the only people I have been asked to love. What if I was asked to love those who look different than me, who have made different choices than I have or I may not like?  What if I was asked to love in a radical way that shows no concern for my reputation, safety, or feelings, maybe even opening myself up to being hurt and disappointed? In fact, over the past couple of years that is exactly where I find myself.  God has given me a deep unfamiliar kind of radical love that I cannot explain.  I have found myself loving people do who not live like I do, have made very different choices than I have, and who think very differently than me.  I still find myself drawn to them, thinking about how their day is going, being concerned about the next choices I know that they are making in their lives.  Normally, this kind of concern or love for a group of people that I don’t really know is temporary.  For reasons I cannot explain, God has chosen to continue to place that radical unfamiliar love in me for these folks.  I am now choosing to pursue this new course of action into radical love no matter how apprehensive I may be or the caution that is regularly offered.  My experience has proven that if I follow the ways of the God that I know, he will not abandon me. Love Wins every time!

Comments

[Missi DeNoon]

Great reminder Judy! Hard sometimes, but great reminder!! Thanks!