Where’s the Love?

Yesterday, in church, we studied the topic of loving one another as a commandment.  There were many things that we discussed and many thoughts crossed through my mind.  There was one, however, that we didn’t expound on too much, but stayed with me for awhile, even until now.  I talked briefly about it with a few church members and one visitor, which evidences to me how I’m not the only one who feels this way.

Jesus Christ gave us the greatest commandment when He told us to love the Lord God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30).  As men and women, we strive to accomplish this.  I’ve noticed many people giving their all to the Lord, hands raised to the heavens, singing their hearts out, constantly praising God and expressing how much they love Him.  They reiterate it through their prayers, their songs, their verbal testimony, their preaching, and their social networking sites like Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and whatever else we get into.  They really do love God.

But what about the second that is just like it?  To love one another as oneself (v.31)?  It’s interesting how people will be more than willing to show how much they love God and follow that commandment, but when commanded to love others, there’s no evidence of obedience.

What?  Are we defined as Christians by how much love we show to God through our worship and church services?  Isn’t it ironic that in order to show how much we love God, we do it, not by putting on a public display of adoration, but rather through genuinely loving others?

I’ve seen self-proclaimed Christians who will worship and sing, preach and teach and tell everyone how and why we should love God.  But these same Christians will then ignore others who are unlike themselves.  They will be unwelcoming, lacking the warmth of love when visitors enter into their church or their territory.  I’ve seen Christians, attending other Christian events, (not their own) and lack respect by talking and laughing throughout the entire performance, displaying no sense of reverence for the message being brought forth.  I’ve seen Christians who will love only those who love themselves.  What good is that?  Luke 6:32 “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.”

Are we only choosing which commandments to follow?  Do we have it in our minds that it’s sufficient enough to love God and neglect loving others?  Do we think loving God and not others is good enough to pass as Christians in this world?

As Christians, sometimes we do well to love God with all that we have.  But to love God with all that we have means to follow that which He has commanded us.  If we really love God like we publicly display we do, then shouldn’t we also love, not unconditionally, but volitionally?  Shouldn’t we choose to love others because Christ loved them enough to die for all of us?  If we really love God, shouldn’t we love others enough to serve them?

Greater love hath no man than this… that a man lay down his life for his friends.  Not martyrdom.  Service.  Greater love hath no man than this… that a man serve his friends.

Christ served us by dying for us.

For all those people who love to tell others how much they love God and willing to do anything for Him, are we willing to love God enough to love others?  Enough with this, Pharisee-ical, Laodicean, hypocritical Christianity where we will only follow the commandments that we want to follow.

So looking around, who’s really a Christian?  I’ll believe the one who will genuinely love others…

… rather than the one who says they already do.

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