Respond in love. This has been a reoccurring theme for me over the past several months, and especially for the past 6 weeks. I’m tired. I’m frustrated. I’m sick of seeing mean-spirited post on various social media platforms. My heart grieves for others as I wade through their anger being displayed for all to see. The same goes for the news, commercials, yard signs, newspapers and shared videos. The truth is I have had to resist jumping into the conversations and falling victim to the incited anger that takes over my ability to see straight. I literally have had to say out loud to myself respond in love, respond in love, respond  . . in . . . love. It is in that responding in love I remove my hands from the keyboard, keep my mouth shut and walk away.  Don’t get me wrong, being passionate about what you believe is not a bad thing, but when we are quick to respond, both barrels loaded and determined to prove we are right, we risk not responding in love. And it’s not just the social media outlets and other media/news platforms that test my responding in love; people in my life do too. Honestly, at times some people just irritate me. Now let me add, I know I test other’s ability to respond in love as I can be completely irritating and unlovable. Yikes! I hope if you spoke with them, they would say those times are few and far between, but let’s just leave that a mystery for now. Honestly, I think we could identify many situations and times that would require us to respond in love.

Over the past four weeks my pastor has preached on what he called the “One Anothers”. These are the verses in the New Testament of The Bible where we are instructed how to treat one another, specifically to love one another. We see this commandment throughout the New Testament. In John 13 we are instructed to love one another as Christ loved us. In Mark 12 we find that we are to love others as we love ourselves. In fact, Luke 6 tells us to love our enemies. Woah, wait, what? Yep, even our enemies. Respond in love, easy to do? Not always. Responding in love is hard when you’ve been hurt. Responding in love is challenging when you aren’t feeling well, are fatigued or in physical pain. Responding in love is difficult when you’ve been wronged. Responding in love doesn’t come naturally when you disagree with another person or they just flat out irritate you. But responding in love, well that’s what God calls us to do. When we respond in love, we are obeying and honoring God.

I recently attended a funeral of a family friend, who loved people. As our preacher described my friend and how he loved big, he shared the following quote  from a book he was reading regarding love. The author wrote, “Love becomes the one filter through which I process every decision, every action and every word that it seems impossible that my life wouldn’t change.” I believe this is a great way to live out the commandment to love one another. If we operate from a place where every decision, action and word were filter through the lens of love, what a different place this world might be, as well as our own life! 

So, what does responding in love look like? It’s a meal to a friend who doesn’t have the energy to cook dinner for her family on her chemo day. It’s a surprise cheer up gift in the mail from a friend a million miles away. It’s an apology from a child, who originally responded in irritation. It’s crying with a friend when she is hurting. It’s putting the other person’s needs before your own. It’s genuinely listening to someone with a different opinion than yours and not trying to convince them why he/she is wrong. It’s taking your grocery cart back into the store. It’s folding the laundry. It’s keeping your mouth shut. It’s a hug, yes, I said it ;). It’s giving of your time. It’s a handwritten letter sent by snail mail. It’s a thank you. It’s forgiveness, mercy and grace. It’s all of these and so much more. In fact 1 Corinthians 13 gives us a great framework for what it means to respond in love. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”

I would also like to offer Romans 12:14-21 as another example of how we are called to respond in love. “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

My hope is that no matter what I face in the days ahead, that I will use love as my filter. May I love others as Christ loves me. May I always respond in love. I know it won’t always be easy and I cannot do this out of my own strength. To respond in love, I will have to rely on The Holy Spirit to help me. My prayer is that you too will join me on this journey to respond in love. Together, with The Holy Spirit’s help, we can show love to others, even when it’s challenging. As you get out there and respond in love, comment back and share what you are doing! Would love to learn from you!

May they know us by our love! 

Encouraging Video:  By Our Love (Christy Nockels) 

Referenced Scripture:

“A new command I give to you, Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: “Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.”  Mark 12: 30-31

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Luke 6:27-28