Loving with all our Hearts

Look'ee Here!

 

Once upon a time, there was a girl who dreamed of being an English teacher, a missionary, and a wife and mother. Her dreams were wonder-filled; full of hope, excitements and plans. How she would teach! What organization skills she would employ! What tender love and oversight she would give to her own babes.  Naturally, she spent time preparing for these dreams. The young and fool hearted girl just knew she was destined to be the mother, teacher, and wife of the year—she could almost feel it in her bones.

There was only one, slight problem; almost hidden, in fact. The girl did not love others. Oh, she tried hard enough. She loved to put on her happy face and cleanest apron and take homemade cookies to her neighbor widow. She loved to dress up her young relatives and spend the afternoon (and only the afternoon, mind you) in loving play. The young girl even liked to help others—as long as they were grateful.

The truth of the matter was that whenever people did not meet her expectations, the young girl quickly grew frustrated and irritated. Perhaps it was the unruly children she was trying to teach about Jesus—my, they never do sit perfectly still! Or maybe it was the new couple at school; she doted on them until she noticed how ill groomed and mannered they often were. Simply put: she loved to help others until she discovered they were unlike her.

Briefly, we should pause and explain the situation a bit better. It is necessary for you, the readers, to understand that this poor girl was very unhappy and disappointed. She knew in her heart she was not thriving in her relationship with God—in fact, she often felt He was far off and distant. She knew she was growing more and more irritated and frustrated by the day. “If only people were more agreeable! Then I could behave properly,” she would silently say. The unhappy, unChrist-like girl spent more time pluming her “best friend, best sister, best cousin, best teacher in the whole world” feathers and yet wondered why life wasn’t as sweet as she had hoped.

One day, the young girl came home to unexpected company. The two guests were very unlike her but she decided that she would be christianly and put on a good show. She tried her best to make them comfortable but she often became flustered whenever they forgot to be mannerly. She tried to keep sweet  until they forgot to offer help in the kitchen. She tried to be cordial . . . but every time they did not meet her expectations (and she was keeping a mental list!) her heart grew more and more cold.

Eventually, she found a convenient excuse and was able to quickly send them away.  “The nerve of some people!” Then she sat down in her empty living room, observed the empty dining room, and became acutely aware that the lack of noise seemed to be far louder than when her company was here. A sense of wrong-doing and emptiness filled her heart; hadn’t she been right to send away such unwholesome, strange folk? Hadn’t she fulfilled her duty? Why then did she feel so . . . so . . . wrong?

Quickly, she called her trusted friend and retold her troubles. Of course, the dear comrade made no condemning remarks; she simply asked if what was done was right. Immediately, the girl’s heart was smote. Once her irritations had disappeared she realized she never fed her company. She shamefully recalled that she had not offered them a warm bath before traveling. She remembered that she had sent them out in the dark, out into the dangerous night.

Shame washed over her. Had not she been born-again? Had not she God in her heart? Why then, did she not love people? Why was it so hard to live for others when they could be so disagreeable?

Dear readers, there is hope for this young girl. There is repentence and forgiveness. There is the sufficient grace of God which enables all of us to live holy lives. God is holy and gracious and He gives very stern warnings on how we treat others:

^“ Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality

Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.”

Romans 12: 10, 13

 

“Let brotherly love continue.

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”

Hebrews 13:1,2

 

“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

³⁵ For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

³⁶ Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

³⁷ Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

³⁸ When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

³⁹ Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

⁴⁰ And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

⁴¹ Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

⁴² For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

⁴³ I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

⁴⁴ Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

⁴⁵ Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

⁴⁶ And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”

Matthew 25:34-46

 

“And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. “

Matthew 18:5,6,10

 

I’m afraid I have a lot of growing I need to do—to really love others even when they behave, live, dress, believe and speak so different than I; to really serve others like Christ serves me. This is my heart’s desire. That is my dream.

 ^“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”

1 John 4:10,11