"Examples", a small word we see and hear often. A word that brings about no special thoughts or excitement. Yet that word describes a vast amount of ideas and thought.
So often when we find it difficult to express or explain something, we let an example do the explaining for us.
Since we began this site, I have been using examples as one of the means to express my thoughts. Today will be one of those days. I hope to make the points using a sort of two sided sword as an example.
We talk about loving those around us. Loving strangers, friends, family and even ourself. We have looked at it from many angles and experiences.
So what is our example for loving? How can we score or evaluate the love we give family, loved ones, friends and neighbors. What example can we use to see if our expression of love really is love?
Our self evaluation is done by using this example and holding it against how we express our love. I imagine if we truly declare our love for others, then looking at how well we love would be of great interest to us. I would think that we, as most people, would want to do what we say we do the best that we can. We try to do our best at work, play and hobbies. Which one of us would come up to bat at a ball game and swing with a lack of enthusiasm and effort? Who of us would go into the office and just not give much effort to our jobs? Which of us would cut the lawn and skip areas because we just didn't feel like giving it our best? Are we only interested in giving our best in areas that can be seen by others? If so, do we do that because we want others to think highly of us? Do we ever choose to not try hard at things that others don't see so the secret of our lack of doing such things well will not be discovered?
Can we think that maybe love is one of those things that we can get away with doing poorly because most people cannot see how well we love? When I was a personal trainer, I would meet people all the time who wanted to improve their body. Often I would meet people whose heads were perfect. Great hair, perfect makeup, expertly trimmed beards and so on. They were meticulous about their heads, the part everyone could see. Those same people let their bodies go. It is easy to let our bodies fall into bad shape. No one much sees them. They are hidden under clothes. Sometimes love can fall into the same thought process.
I know some couples that are all loving and sweet in public but at home you would never know they loved anyone. Because loving is a topic that is so big and so often covered by God in Scripture, perhaps I would want to do a self examination and make adjustments to better my loving. As with wanting to be better at anything, making improvements takes effort and being aware of what we doing at all times.
Is our love for those around us impacted by others not acting as we want them to. Does our love drop off because we don't get called as often as we want? Does it become strained because they don't tell us they love us as much as we tell them? Do we find it is hard to love them because we don't feel appreciated? Do we hold love back because that person was rude or mean to us? Do we feel right and justified in those scenarios?
I am pointing out some ways that many of us love. I imagine we all have at one time or another made our love conditional. I may be the only one of us who has been a horrible love giver, but I admit I have not always loved as I should. We may have cut it off, lessened it or made another pay dearly to get it back. I understand that we have been treated in the same way. I understand that maybe that is how we may have been raised. I understand it may not be easy. But, hey, love is worth the effort. Love is great to get and in my opinion, just as good if not better to give.
So how should love work and look? Finally, here is the example I have been leading up to.
Look to Romans 8:35,38,39 NLT; "Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute or in danger, or threatened with death?..... And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow - not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below- indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord".
I am not going to explain all that these verses teach us at this time but what I do want us to see is the example of love that is given by God. He loves us no matter what. His love never fails and never gives up on us. We could never be so awesome that we could earn His love! If we search ourselves, unlike the example God gives us, we might just expect those around us to earn our love. God gives His love away because of who He is, not because of who the recipient is.
Do we as humans approach love more with it being about who our recipient is and less about who we are? I guess it can be quite simple, if we love ... we love. Done. There should be no qualifiers, no exceptions. It should be pure and clear. That certainly gives me something to work on. I can take the entire list of things that don't separate us from God's love and spend the rest of my life trying to love in such a way. Let's pick one for fun. Do we love those around us in such a way that even the powers of hell cannot separate them from our love? Okay, that is a big one. How about can the guy who is destitute (from the verses above) and living on the street? Do we love him or judge him? If life went badly for us and we became destitute, would we want to be loved or judged? Can we love in such a way that even disappointment cannot separate others from our love? Or anger, or frustration, or not being treated fairly? Do we think we have treated God fairly? Yet He still loves us.
Let me close with the example of a two sided sword. On one side we have the example of loving that we receive from God, on the other side we have the example of love we show the world. One example is of what we get, the other example is of what we give.
What condition are the sides of that sword in? One side, the receiving side, may be sharp, smooth, even and straight. The other side, the giving side, may be nicked, crooked, pitted and dull.
Here is what is really cool. Even though one side is perfect and the other side has flaws, the perfect side never changes. Even though we are not the best at loving, we continue to receive the best love ever. Shouldn't it be the same for everyone?
We have been showered with a greater love than we can ever imagine, so maybe we can show our appreciation by loving better and more. Maybe we can live making an effort to make that sword balanced by loving as good as we are loved.
Love somebody. Love everybody. Oh, and don't forget to love the one who loves you most of all.