Day 2464 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.
Revelation 3:19 NIV
If you asked me for something that our society has gotten drastically wrong lately I would definitely say that our new definition of love would be right at the top of the list. People think that loving others means agreeing with whatever they do. They believe that in order to love someone you have to accept anything they do whether or not it's right, healthy, or helpful. And folks, that simply isn't love. That's betrayal!
I think we've made complacency in our own opinions the goal. Everyone just wants to be left alone to do whatever makes them happy or brings them excitement in life. People don't want to hear the truth because the truth doesn't pull punches. They don't want to hear that they may be making mistakes because that would cause them to reconsider their choices.
People aren't interested in being told they're wrong because hearing that only shakes this cozy delusion that allows them to think that there is no such thing as responsibility, punishment, guilt, or consequences. Those things aren't the fun and carefree kind of things that our world enjoys because they inherently bring with them limits and rules. And who likes limits and rules?
No, going crazy and living like nothing matters is far more fun. And that's what people want. And if we really love them then we'll go along with whatever they decide is right because love only wants people to be happy and comfortable, right? Wrong! Love isn't another word for acceptance. It doesn't share the same definition as approval. Love doesn't just exist to make people feel good all the time. There is something called tough love, and that's something our world is forgetting!
Love wants the best for others even if it means telling the hard truth that wounds someone. Love meets a person wherever they are but refuses to settle for calling that good enough. Love sees the best in someone else and will not rest until they see it for themselves. Love isn't willing to compromise just so someone can enjoy a little temporary comfort or enjoyment. No, love aims for the best and doesn't allow that goal to shift.
Friends, we have to stop equating love with approval. We don't need someone to agree with everything we do. We need someone who is willing to correct us when we're wrong and point us back to the right path when we've wandered off. We need a love that isn't scared to hurt our feelings or offend us with the truth because the truth is where we find freedom. We need a love that won't settle for anything that we think is good enough.
That's the love we have in God. It's a love that knows we're not perfect but is willing to keep trying and to keep pushing us to get closer. It's a love that isn't okay with simply leaving us alone to make our own choices hoping we do good enough. It's a love that won't avoid the truth we need to hear because He knows that truth is the path that leads us to something so much better than what we've chased before.
We all have a chance to experience the most true, the most powerful, the most pure form of love that there is. But it isn't found along a path that leads us to the worldly desires we have. It doesn't worry about our feelings or our tendency to be offended. It wants to save our lives and lead us to an eternity of peace and joy. That's a little more important than our feelings!
Please don't run from God or faith or His truth because it forces you to change and pushes you to improve. We need those things. We need to be called out. We need to be told when we mess up. Folks, He sees what we can't and He knows what we can be. If it means stripping away everything we thought we wanted or needed to help us see that there's more out there, then that's exactly what He will do. He loves us too much not to!
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