I was riding in the car this morning and listening to some worship music when I got to thinking a little bit about the nature of Jesus. I haven't recently been as invested in Him as maybe I would like to be and the reflections of that became evident in my thought. I've been less helpful at home. I've been lazy and slow. I've been less than enthused to help with even the simplest things.
While thinking about all of the things that I do that cause me to fall short every day I was reminded that He loves us anyway. It's something that we all take for granted every single day. It didn't seem "profound" to me this morning either. It just seemed like a matter-of-fact. I mess up. Jesus still loves me. There it is.
When I progressed to the next level of thought I did garner some new inspiration though. I thought about how He loves me in spite of my faults and mistakes, and how that is true love. It reminded me that love is not a feeling that I feel toward someone; it is an action that I exhibit toward the people that matter to me. Instant conviction.
I claim to love Jesus and to follow Him, but daily I misrepresent him when I have a bad attitude or when I a allow my anger to get the best of me. Daily I spit him in the face. How much a friend am I? I don't listen when He calls and often times put other things in front of Him. How can I do those things and still claim to love Him?
Having those thoughts race through my mind I then think about the crucifixion. Jesus said "Father forgive them. They know not what they do." Jesus wasn't just speaking about the hands that crucified him; we do that every day with our "mistakes" that are another pound against the nails. Jesus was speaking to the totality of Christians who fail to comprehend the consequences of their actions and to all of humanity. In that one statement, he asked forgiveness for all of mankind who follows Him.
The Bible says, "Greater love has no man that he lay down his life for his friends," and then, "while we were sinners, Christ died for us." He took it to the next level, beyond what we as people are capable of. He died for people who were not His friends, but He loved us anyway.
If love is an action, then I need to be doing more to act in a way that exemplifies love to the people around me. We aren't called to preach values to other people. I spit on Jesus enough in one day to deserve hell several times over. Who am I to then go to a brother and tell them about their faults? The first step is to reach out to others in love and to show the love that He had for us. That is the great commission. Failing to further his cause is an abuse of His name and leaves us unworthy of it, even though He will perpetually extend His grace.
So what did this all mean to me?
It's simple. If we aren't doing the things that tell people about Jesus with our actions then we aren't acting with love toward Jesus. It's simply a lie to say you love Jesus and do nothing.
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