By Our Love

Tonight was another night of conviction.

I wish to express, above all other virtues, love to those around me. To love my brothers and sisters as Christ loved me.

So to hear once more the various thoughts most people have at the word 'Christian', it became another night of conviction. After being reminded of all the popular perceptions and common experiences, it became another night of conviction.

I paused to think, is there something I'm missing? Is it more than just hypocrites carrying false labels of faith? Of all the genuine, loving followers of Christ has that not been enough to make an impact on all these negative views?

When we live out our love to our neighbors, could it be they just don't make the connection to Jesus?

I wonder, how often the unusual kindness or love or generosity of a Christian is just attributed to the Christian, and not to Christ. Amidst a humanist society where we expect man alone to triumph in life without the interference of a transcendental being, how often does God's work get mistaken for man's victory of independence without God?

A woman gives a homeless man a meal, and a passerby says to themselves, "My what a virtuous woman!" Which is a fine statement on it's own, but unfortunately denies any possibility of another source of that virtue other than the work of her own will!

They will know we are Christians by our love.

When we are surrounded by a world view that denies the possibility of God, how could they see the love that comes from Him?

It's something I"m still struggling with. I don't want to walk around all day wearing a shirt that says, "I'm only nice to you because of Jesus". That's not really the best way of saying it.

I believe God is the source of all good things. Whenever I do anything nice, it was not of my own work. Also, if I ever see a non-Christian doing good work, I rejoice that God is doing good things through people who may not even realize it.

It makes me think though, that if someone where to truly know we are Christians by our love, our love would have to be so out of the ordinary, so unlike any human love, that people could not possibly confuse it with that of just some nice guy.

As much as I love nice guys.

It does however, set the bar pretty high on our definition of what it means to love one another.


Yours In Christ,

Just Another Jesus Freak