Will You Love?

               I was asked, “If your son … would you still love him?”  Without hesitation, I uttered “Yes, of course, I will love him.  I will love him and pray for him as long as he has breath. God gave him to me, and it is my job to love him unconditionally.”   It was a tough conversation. The truth is if my son did the thing in question, I would be disappointed in him and immensely brokenhearted.  There is no question my love would remain, but he wouldn’t have my favor and gifts the way he does now.

   

                A short time later another conversation prompted a similar question about a close friend. “If she says… what will you do?”  I wasn’t sure. I’m still not sure.  I uttered, “I would never be mean to her.” I would hate it if she did the thing in question, but I love her.  My love wouldn’t end.

               

               Someone should probably ask me the same question about my church.  “If they do something you hate, will you still love them? If leadership messes up will you still go?”  I’ve been bothered by decisions in my church. I haven’t wanted to go. I haven’t been consistently in months.  I asked God to send me somewhere else, but He hasn’t. This morning, I pulled myself up and went to my church because I needed to go.  I can’t explain how I need the church, but I do. The sermon today was about commitment and attending church.  God always has a sense of humor with me. 

                When faced with the question of would I still love my son, Absolutely!  To the question of would, I still love my friend, for sure!  Would I still love my church?  I should, do I?  How loyal am I expected to be? Let’s be real, I live in East Tennessee - I have options.  There are a plethora of churches on every corner.

                I heard a speaker talk about embracing hate. As a Christian, that raised my temper, as my indignation said, “Now wait a minute…”  I don’t agree with everything she said, but she made some valid points.  One is that you hate because you love.   I would hate it if my son made the choice in question because I love him and want what’s best for him.  

                Hate that is fueled from a place of love isn’t bad as long as it is directed at action(s) and not a person. 

                You can hate sin and love the sinner.  You can hate abortion and love the abortionist. (That one is hard for me.)  You can hate homosexuality and love the homosexual.  You can hate the mistakes a loved one will make or has made but still love them.  

                It doesn’t matter what you have done, are doing, or are considering doing.   God still loves you.  I raised my son expecting him to choose Christianity. Anything less will break my heart.  God created us with the expectation that we would worship Him.  Anything less than His will breaks His heart but it doesn't change God's love for us. God would say, "Absolutely!  I love my church, my people, and all of my creation unconditionally.”  

              God hates sin because He wants the best for us. God’s ways are best.  God doesn’t force us to love him back.  He is there with His arms wide open waiting on us to accept Him.  He is waiting for us to give ourselves to a relationship with Him through Jesus.   

             The question today is, “Will you still love?”.    We all have options.  It is much easier to say, “kick rocks” than it is to love someone when they choose something we hate.  That doesn’t mean God wants us to be endangered, abused, or suffering. The vital thing is trusting God first and allowing Him to show you when to love people up close and when to love them from a distance.   The same is true for the church.  Should we go or stay?  That needs to be led by the Holy Spirit.  God is love. It is His love that should lead and not our emotions.

             Love is not an emotion.  Love is more. “4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Cor 13:4-7, NIV

Love is so powerful that it stimulates the part of the brain that triggers physical movement. Love is healing. That is why newborns need to be cuddled, sick folks need visits, and nobody needs to walk through life alone.

             There’s a song by 10^th Avenue North that says, “You are more than the choices that you've made, You are more than the sum of your past mistakes, You are more than the problems you create, You've been remade.”  When it comes to loving, you also must remember to love yourself.   

Will you love?