“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing.”
Romans 12:9-10 (ESV)
Take a moment to look at your heart. What’s in it? Who occupies it? Have you willingly given up the keys to your heart to something or someone? Gradually loosening the grip and unleashing our love is something that doesn’t come naturally. The heart is such a frail part of us, many don’t want to make the effort to set it loose, but would rather stay firm in controlling it.
A significant amount of the world today revolves around hate. Not only does the media idolize every drop of evil that comes in its path, but we are taught not to trust, to stay away, and be vengeful of those who’ve wronged us. How then do we find it possible to find any good humans in this world at all?
As an introvert, I tend to keep my distance far away from people… far, FAR away! Isolating myself from large crowds will most likely be my preference. The tight space and overwhelming noises are enough to drive any introvert back into their shell and under the blankets in their bed. Over the years, I’ve slowly dipped my toes into the pool of socializing, and while coming into contact with more people, I’ve realized the significance that each person has.
There was a time in my life where I use to lock myself in my room, turn down any invitation and exclaim to the world that, “I hate people!” It wasn’t until my mother sat me down that I realized my fault. Why should I hate people? Are they all the same? Of course not! How would I meet my friends, future spouse or collaborate in any sort of work environment if I continually proclaimed that I loathed everyone on Earth?
The stinging reality that left a bitter taste on my tongue was the realization that not only was I saying that I hate people, but that I hated God’s creations.
Let that sink in. Who am I to say that I hate someone, when God made the same sacrifice for them as He did for you and me?
If you are a born-again Christian, you are very aware of the fact that God sent His only Son to die on the cross for our sins. That’s the basic Christian message. He made you perfect in His image and delicately formed each and every cell that contributes to your being. But we have to understand that this fact doesn’t only apply to us. He didn’t only spend all that time on me, but He did the same for you, your friends, your family and even the people we hate the most.
We know that we are called to love each other, but that doesn’t only apply to the handful of people we like, but it especially applies to the people we hate. Can you wrap your head around that? It took me a while. We are supposed to love someone we hate as much as we love our own flesh and blood. I cannot imagine loving someone as much as I love my mother, so what am I supposed to say when God commands me to show the same love for someone who maybe stole my car?
Can you imagine what the world would be like if we were all constantly surrounded by the same love that Jesus showed for us? Would we even have any concerns to worry about?
As I mentioned before, my brain is wired as an introvert to stay away from people, but God commands otherwise. That is why I say as an introvert, I hate you. But as a Christian, I love you.
