Selective Love

Otherwise known as “Conditional Love,” we practice SELECTIVE LOVE often.  And perhaps we don’t even realize it!!  (But maybe we do …)

All it takes is a few moments on social media and it is apparent that almost everyone in our world has forgotten how to disagree.

We are NOT all alike. We do not believe THE SAME WAY about every issue that we face. And THAT IS OKAY. We are human. The differences between us help to form the unique individuals that we have become.

The danger of 2018 is found in how we allow these differences to polarize us on every level. When we pick and choose whom we will love based on our beliefs or other factors that divide us, we are practicing SELECTIVE LOVE. We are ONLY LOVING those who are like us, who look like us, who act like us, who believe like us, who vote like us, who pull for the same football team. Can you see where this is headed??

This is not only bad for the future of our world, this is in DIRECT OPPOSITION to how Jesus taught us to love in the Sermon on the Mount!!

 In Matthew 5 (NIV), Jesus said:

 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reminded His disciples that the civilized world would expect everyone to love their neighbor. And hate their enemy. These things were not only accepted, but EXPECTED of anyone and everyone. But a disciple of Christ is called to DO MORE …

We are called to LOVE OUR ENEMIES. To PRAY FOR THOSE WHO PERSECUTE US. We are called to meet the aggression of our enemies with LOVE. With CARE. And, if we do these things, we will be the sons and daughters of our Father in Heaven.  Again the world says this is CRAZY.   Some of you reading this might even think these words are crazy.  But, remember:  These are the very words of Jesus Christ!

IF you only love those who love you, you are living no better than the rest of the world. LOVE those who do not love you. Go the extra mile, even when it doesn’t make sense.  THAT is God’s kind of love!!

STRIVE TO BE PERFECT as your Heavenly Father is perfect!  (Zig Ziglar said: “If you aim at NOTHING, you will hit it every time.”)