Skip to main content

Choosing to Love

            In many parts of the world, arranged marriages are still very common.  Obviously, making that type of relationship work requires a very specific mindset.  For example, most North Americans believe that you meet someone, fall in love and then make a commitment.  Arranged marriages ask you to make a commitment to someone and then learn to love him or her.   
Why am I telling you this?  Well, I think that the church is an arranged marriage. 
Generally, you do not get to choose the people in the church.  Therefore, to make that community into what God envisioned, we must choose to act in certain ways towards one another.
That is Paul’s message when he says, “As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians 3:12).  I like the word “clothed” in that sentence.  We are to put these attitudes on and wear them in such a way that they are visible to everyone.  When people look at us, they are supposed to see acceptance and a desire to treat others as we would want to be treated.
“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (verse 13).  People are not always going to see things the same way.  Others will not always do what you think they should do.  Forgiveness will be necessary.  When we are quick to apologize and let things go, we build bridges that allow us to go on together.
“Over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” (verse 14).  The words “bound together” make me think of “Crazy Glue”.  Love sticks us together in a way that cannot be torn apart. 
Most people think that love is a feeling, but this scripture states that love is a decision.  Love grows when we act in certain ways toward one another.  Love is based on what I give and not on what I receive.
Better churches and better friendships can be formed by simply choosing to love the people that God has given us.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New Article: Grace Changes Everything

               A young man broke into a business and did $5000 damage. As part of his Restorative Justice sentence, he was required to meet with my friend Garth.   Garth believes in making apologies and restitution.   It took several months, but Garth finally convinced the young man that these were necessary steps, so he tried to arrange a meeting with the business owner.                The business owner wanted nothing to do with this situation.   He was angry and wanted a more severe form of justice.   Eventually, however, he agreed to meet the young man to hear what he had to say.                  The young man looked the business owner in the eye an...
Post a Comment
Read more

New Article: We need a Better Scorecard

                   “Is that a Sun Ice?”                “Excuse me,” I said.                My friend pointed to my new ski jacket and asked again, “Is that a Sun Ice?”                It was 1991 and Sun Ice was the big name in ski wear at the time.   “No” I replied, “I can’t afford one of those”.                “Oh” he said as he lost interest and then just walked away.                I had not seen this friend in more than a year and, sadly, his first ...
Post a Comment
Read more

New Article: Surprised by God

                 We would be shocked if we could hear the Bible for the first time again.   On every page, something unexpected happens.   The only reason we are not surprised is that the stories are so familiar to us.   Think about some of the unexpected interactions that God has had with his people.                For example, every culture has stories about a creator, but none imagined that God would become part of the creation.   That the creator would lower himself and become human is surprising, to say the least.                Not only did he become one of us, but he also came as a baby.   A tiny, helpless, baby!   If I wer...
Post a Comment
Read more