Love Without Reason

“Loving without reason”

Love, it’s a complicated topic. Sure, it may be easy to describe the feeling or interpret it to our own accord. However, Love as the bible describes it, and loving as we are called to, thats a whole different issue. For how do you even begin to “Love your enemies” as Jesus says to, how does one begin to “love your wife as Christ loved the church”. We all know the scriptures but are we really ready and willing to actually live them out. It is easy to love your enemy if they love you first, and it is easy to love your wife and sacrifice yourself for her when she makes it easy to, but what about when she disrespects you? What about when your enemy sets you up for failure, or throws you under the buss to move ahead of you and take that bonus or job you have been working hard for?

Don’t we honestly make justifications for our love? We love these verses in the bible that tell us to love our enemies and love and sacrifice for our wives, but we are quick to make justifications for why we do or don't do them. What makes the gospel compelling is not only what is said but the actions that were lived out, Jesus said humbling and difficult things, but He didn’t just proclaim them He actually did them. We love receiving the love of Christ, which is total sacrifice…total undeserved grace…a love that loves without reason, because we are so undeserving it is overwhelming when we receive the love of God, when we truly can see our own sin, how selfishly motivated and how wrong we are in the eyes of GOD the Holy and righteous Judge, and yet we are granted that forgiveness, that mercy and grace that is completely contrary to what we actually deserve, because what we have honestly stored up for ourselves should be wrath and indignation but we are granted the opposite, are we not in awe and amazement? We know that is love without a shadow of a doubt because it comes undeservedly so….we know it is forgiveness because we are getting opposite of what we actually deserve, and we know its something we can not earn for ourselves….we can’t buy the love of God with what we have to offer, we can’t earn it with good works, because no good works can overshadow who we are by nature in and of our own doing.

This is my purpose in this rant; “Love without reason” For example: if you love your wife because she is perfect…first of all you are delusional because she's not, but if you love her because of what she does for you…that is not love…that is loving what is being done for you, your loving on feeling and as long as that person or thing continues to make you feel that way you will love them/it but once it stops you won’t…that is not love. If that was love God would of stopped loving us a long time ago. Love is expression and devotion above opposition, love is a work, it is difficult to do and it takes effort, it takes surrender, and to love in the way the bible describes it takes the renewing of your mind and living in the spirit.

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 1 Peter 3:8

It takes a humble mind, one that will sacrifice their own well being for someone else…that is love. It’s easy to love others when they agree with us, when we are like minded, when we have the same goals and ideals, as believers we are called to a higher calling of love. We are called to show a difference, and we have the opportunity every single day to show grace, the same forgiveness and grace that God showed us. If we really believe God is in control it makes it easy to love our enemy…we would know God will look out for us, instead of seething with jealousy over a promotion of someone we consider an enemy…what if we swallowed our pride and congratulated? Even if they stepped over us to get ahead…

What if when our spouse disrespects us we show a difference and don’t do it back? What if we actually 

….Love without reason..

Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.  For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days,

let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit;

let him turn away from evil and do good;

    let him seek peace and pursue it. 

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,

    and his ears are open to their prayer.

But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?  But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 1 Peter 3:9-16