Years ago there was a soap opera
(day-time television show) that had a song, “Love is many
splendored thing”
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Is_a_Many_Splendored_Thing_(TV_series)).
I remember the song even as an older woman – but not really the
love dramas of the people on the show. I do remember my mother
watching it and that song...”Love....is a many splendored thing”.
Love, true love, God's unconditional love through Jesus Christ is
truly, “splendor”.
As I grow in my faith and knowledge of
the Lord Jesus, I am tasked more and more that love, real love is
what we all need; what we all search for and what we all can share
with one another. Without Christ, however, it is difficult to love
unconditionally and faithfully. We all know people who we think are
the “unlovables” of our life. People who hurt us; people who have
counted us out; people who disrespect us and make us feel
insignificant. I tell you there is a great grief in realizing that
people reject who you are: a creation in God's image. It is an even
greater grief when persons who are supposed to love you like your
mother, father, siblings, so-called friends, other Christians, your
pastor and a host of other people we expect to get real love from,
often fail us. Sometimes, we are failing others by the lack of love
we don't give to them. Our constant prayer during these times will be
“Jesus, show me how to love”.
I had a very recent experience in a
particular environment and learned that some people who I did
absolutely nothing to, didn't like me, let alone love me. For months,
I have been baffled by what it is exactly I was doing? Or what are
they thinking? I tried to do this and that, and even participated in
events I had no interest in, but for the sake of love and trying to
give an “olive leaf” of peace toward my enemies, nothing availed.
They had made a conscience decision outside of me to be against me. I
was even told by “observers” who had the power to change the
“climate”, “they just don't like you”.
I then had a choice. Now that I knew
that this was outside of my ability to change the situation or to
change people's hearts toward me, I needed Jesus to change me. He
did. All of sudden, a great weight was taking off of me. It was not
about me; it was about them and their attitude, their character,
their lack of love. I don't have to take that on. I decided to let
people be exactly who they are and that I would be who God has called
me to be. I shed some tears – it wasn't an easy pill to swallow. I
now commit it to God and asked God to help me to love them anyway. To
not let their nastiness keep me bound – I can't control people. I
can love my enemies with Christ. I can't condone evil or wicked
behavior. I can love “in spite of”. I can pray for them. I can
choose to be at peace with myself and with them internally. I
released these people to God. I am still praying.
Love is truly a many splendored thing
if it is Christ's love operating through us. It is hard sometimes not
to fight fire with fire. I am special to God and He loves me very
much. I can share that love, I can pray and I can be true to the
truth that sometimes, people have chosen not to walk in the way of
God's unconditional love. That is their choice.
Listen to this song from Babbie Mason, a woman of God who wrote a song entitled, "Show me how to love". This is from www.youtube.com. Another link with the words to the song are here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0RPql25XPs. (Go to Babbie Mason's website, the author/artist of this song. God has used her to write some beautiful songs of worship to the only One who loved us enough to die for us and to give us life, eternal life - Jesus. All rights reserved. http://www.babbie.com/index.php?id=12.)
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