Thoughts from Last Wed.

One of the thoughts that came out of last Wednesday nights discussion was Agape and Unconditional love. We looked at how God loves us all unconditionally but to truly experience God's love there are conditions that require our obediance to Him. It's like a relationship. I love Bethany unconditionally but in order for our love to grow their are conditions. Like the fact that I shouldn't be looking at other women and she shouldn't be looking at other men, etc.


The problem lies in when we try to replace God with ourselves and push the conditions that God requires. Loving God can not be pushed on anybody. There lies unconditional love. He loves us so much He gives us the right to choose to love Him or not. The same is true in a relationship. I cannot make Bethany love me, no matter what I might say or do. She has to choose on her own. I can point out to her why she should love me but I can't make her love me.


We can try to take the Holy Spirit's job.


In a devotion by Bob Gass in "The Word for You Today" he says how many times we as Christians try and mow other peoples grass instead of taking care of our own yard. This is a fatal flaw in Christian people. We want others to be where we are at but there are steps that God is taking us all through to get us to that point. Yesterday I used this illustration: Picture yourself as a hamburger with tomatoe, pickle, and ketchup. It's easy to see when someone doesn't have tomatoe, pickle, and ketchup because you have it. But it isn't easy to see that they have bacon, lettuce, and onion. Something that you don't have yet. So we constantly point out the fact that they are missing tomatoe, pickle, and ketchup all the while not realizing that we are missing bacon, lettuce, and onion.


And I do agree that their needs to be repentance and it does need to start with the church. But I cannot convict anybody. That is God's job. I must only PRAY for them and myself. If God would lead me to talking to them then I must do it with a humble heart and much love and compassion so as to not to destroy the friendship. Love should be what motivates us to encourage others to see their potential in Jesus. Not to condemn them because we think we are better. Which sometimes can be the underlying factor to why we speak the way we do.


To be continued...