Love Without Loopholes
Well, mercy me, friend, step lively through this ol’ front porch gate and set yourself down for a lil’ ol’ minute before the day starts buckin’ like an ol’ contrary mule at bath time. Ain’t it somethin’ how a body can carry a Bible in one hand and a prickly burr in the heart with the other hand? Some folks can sing like lil’ ol’ meadowlarks on Sunday and still stay mighty stirred up inside like a hen that spotted a snake hidin’ in the straw. But love for God and hatred toward people just don’t belong in the same soul no more than an ol’ possum belongs at a wedding supper.
First John 4:20 says it about as plain as a supper bell, “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is not being truthful.” That verse don’t tiptoe around the woodpile. It plum shines a lantern right into the darkest corners of the heart. Then, Jesus says in John 13:35, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Real love ain’t proved by how kindly we treat the easy folks. It shows up when we choose grace for the prickly ones, patience for the drainin’ ones, and mercy for the ones that rub us about as raw as a scratchy wool blanket in August.
Romans 12:18 adds, “If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” That plum means we don’t wait on the other person to turn sweet as peach cobbler before we start obeyin’ God. We’ve gotta be doin’ our part. We’ve gotta forgive, we’ve gotta pray, we’ve gotta speak kindly, and we’ve gotta leave room for God to be workin’. Sometimes the very people that chafe us the most are the actual tools God uses to file down our pride and teach us how to love like Jesus.
If we can’t love the brother plum standin’ right in front of us, then our claim to love God starts wobblin’ like a lil’ ol’ calf tryin’ to stand up on brand new legs. Love ain’t no loophole. Love is the evidence that Jesus is sho’-nuff’ alive in us.
Father, teach me to love people the way You have loved me. Root out bitterness, pride, and selfishness from my heart. Help me walk in patience, peace, and grace even when it is hard. Make my love real so others can see Jesus in me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Well, alright then, friend, gather up your thoughts and head on back into this day like an ol’ farmer walkin’ a straight fence line after a long storm. Don’t be totin’ grudges around like they’re heirlooms worth keepin’. You’ve gotta downright turn loose of what sours the heart and hold mighty fast to what looks like Jesus. And if somebody gits to rufflin’ your feathers today, let love be the first thing to start crowin’, because a heart that’s been taught by God ought to be soundin’a whole lot sweeter than any song ever sung on the porch or anywhere else in this ol’ world.
With joy,
Gwen
