Jesus Loves You

It’s hard to walk with Christ when you don’t know Him. And it’s hard to love and trust someone you don’t know. 

I find that a lot of people who aren’t saved have the false perception that Jesus is a tyrant ruler who hates them…which couldn’t be further from the truth.

But how can someone be convinced of a love they’ve never felt?

As believers, we have a responsibility to carry the love of Jesus with us in everything we do and everyone we meet.

For many people, their encounters with us (believers) is their first encounter with God. So when I’m ignoring them, talking bad about them, and condemning them – I’m misrepresenting God.

Much like Jesus, I don’t have to cosign or join their sin, but I need to love them. I can embrace them without putting my soul at risk. I can get to know them, share my testimony, and invite them to different functions without sacrificing my salvation. 

And to be clear, this is not a plea to water down the gospel AT ALL. Christianity is what it is, and it will require us to carry our cross daily, deny ourselves of many worldly pleasures, and live differently than we used to. 

But when I think about how I got to that point – willing to pray, fast, serve in ministry, share my testimony, worship, abstain from sex until marriage…

Well, I believe it started by experiencing the love of God through the people in my life. 

When I reflect on part of my testimony, I can see that the love of my family friends – pouring into me while simultaneously dragging me out of the pit of addiction and all that comes with it – that was when I began to receive the love of God.

I got to be the recipient of selfless, faith-filled (because they couldn’t predict how this would turn out), sacrificial love. They reminded me who I am and who God says I am. They spent time and money on me. They embraced me even though I didn’t have anything to give. 

I didn’t realize it then, but it softened my heart to who God was. The love that I experienced – love that didn’t shun or condemn me – opened my heart to the love God had for me. 

Fast forward to present day, and now I’m a woman that desires to give that same love to others – the forgotten, the hopeless, the rebellious, the outcasts, the difficult. Because someone did that for me, and my life is forever changed for the better. 

Holy Spirit, when I encounter those who aren’t (yet) saved, please help me to represent You well. Please help me to love them where they are, so that they can experience the love of Christ. Help me to do so truthfully, courageously, and joyously, knowing that this, too, is a part of making disciples. Amen. 

 

xoxoxo,

DASH