Whatsoever You Do...

-Love. Who among us can define love...can anyone? Some would say that love is a feeling, or an emotion. Others would say that love is a conscious choice. Still others would tell you that love cannot exist. Me? I've been struggling with love a lot lately. I can honestly say that I love Rachel. I love my friends, most of my family, and even a few people who are merely "acquaintances." Heck, I can even say without a doubt that I love my mother, and some of you know how hard that is to believe.

- 43"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor[a] and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies[b] and pray for those who persecute you. (Matthew 5:43-44)

-After reading that verse, I realized that, although I thought I'd been doing a dang good job of loving people. But Love my enemies? Pray for people who knock me down? Really? Deep in my pride filled heart, I read that verse, and wonder what the heck Jesus was smoking. That verse is telling me, that when someone insults me, I'm supposed to let it glance off me like nothing happened, and respond to it by bringing them before my Lord?

-"Love with actions and truth, not with words"
--When I was told this, it made perfect sense to me, It's not hard to SHOW my love to someone...right? Upon some deep thinking, I realized the opposite. It is so easy for me to look at a close friend of mine, or at Rachel, or her mom (pause to laugh/chuckle here) and say "Hey, I love you." But showing it? How do you SHOW love? So I came up with a little list of ways to show love to people without telling them.

---Hug them (MY FAVORITE.)
---Sit and talk to them. (Make sure to listen)
---Ask them about their day
---Give something to someone who needs what you have.
---Smile at someone on the street.
---Give compliments (but be sincere)
---Greet people
---Whatever you think is loving*

-But even with all of this...I still remain totally blind on exactly how to love someone...so I took a look at how Jesus loved. Jesus was a crazy brotha. He walked around loving on everyone. Everyone. By that, I mean the rich, and the poor. Those with mansions, and those with nothing. The wise man, and the blind man. The pharisee, and the prostitute. He didn't judge, never turned away from someone who needed his help, commanded all of his followers to love their enemies as their friends, and the un-righteous as the righteous. This is love, is it not? Looking at a person, and seeing everyone the same? Not one person is better than another.

-I want to take on that love. Too see a homeless man, and love him as much as, albeit in a totally different way, I love Rachel. To do this, we must look to John the baptist. John was a man who humbled himself before the Lord...taking no credit for any of his work, but giving it all to God.

- 19Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ.[a]"

21They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?"
He said, "I am not."
"Are you the Prophet?"
He answered, "No."

22Finally they said, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

23John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.' "[b]

24Now some Pharisees who had been sent 25questioned him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"

26"I baptize with[c] water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know. 27He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie." (John 1:19-27)

-Some may still wonder how on earth I can expect to love the ones we deem unlovable. Jesus tells us that it is those people whom he is in. So when we see those in need, and we help them, we help Christ.

-31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." (Matthew 25:31-46)

-So, if y'all need some loving...look me up, I got your back.