Give Love

Having reached a plateau in my weight loss, I press on.  I may not have lost any more  weight, but I feel healthier than I've ever felt in my life.  

Today, in  my exercises, I pondered on things that have been happening in our nation.  Recently, the motto of our nation is "love wins". For me, love already won on the day my savior was crucified for my sin.  Yet, as I was exercising, I looked at my shirt, one of the first shirts I'd ever bought to exercise in.  It reads: "Give love".  Yet, are we, as Christians, really giving love?  Are we showing God's love?

Before I begin, allow me to say, I am a Christian.  Therefore, I believe the Bible in its entirety.  If you want to know what I believe in or don't believe, read the Bible.  I believe what it says. 

Yet, if you knew me before I was 20, you know that I had a past.  Did I partake in the sins that many teenage and young adults partake in? No, I did not.  However, I was the most judgemental Christian I knew.  I condemned a friend who told me he was homosexual.  I never had a chance to witness to him because I cut him away from my life entirely.  I went to a party (which I was completely uncomfortable in) and a friend said, "oh no, we are all going to hell" when he saw me.  Could I witness Christ's love to him? No, because all he saw was my condemnation of his sin.  Even Christian friends that didn't know me then but are friends now tell me that I wouldn't have been their friend then, because of my judgemental attitude.

So, now that you know my past, allow me to continue with my heartbreakening honesty.  I believe we, as Christians, are somehow missing the boat here.  In wanting to be like Proverbs 31, I believe the Proverbs 31 woman is a woman who gives love.  

Recently, I had an opportunity to have a long discussion with my husband about life. He said something I will never forget, "I may be a Christian but I'm not going to join the hate wagon."  So, in these last days... Yes, I believe these are the last days, but I've believed that long before a court decision or what has happened in the media...I want to encourage us all to give love.  Give Christ's love.

My husband and I are youth leaders and recently we had the opportunity to attend a Christian concert.  (I am a music nut... But I especially love music that uplifts God, His Son, and His Word!!). We heard a young man (Colton Dixon) speak to the crowd about it being the last days.  He said something along the lines of: in the last days, the Bible says we will do greater works than Christ.  Then, he said, how many people have you raised from the dead? How many people have you seen healed?  How many people have you lead to Christ?

Ouch! That hurts!  Matthew 24:12 says that because sin will abound, the love of many will grow cold (or fade away).  As a former self-proclaimed judgemental Christian, I believe that's what we are doing.  We are too busy spewing hate to show love.  The bible says that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God.  After that, to love your neighbor.  It doesn't say that our neighbor would share our beliefs.  Moreover, the great commission tells us that we are to take the word of God to the sinner.  So, get out of your comfort zone.  Get off of your social media condemnation and go out and find the sinner.  (Remember Matthew 7 tells us to take care of our own sins--through Christ--before we judge or worry about others' sins.). Go beyond your church walls and find the sinner.  Give them Christ.  Give love.

A Proverbs 31 woman gives love.