Edification part 5
It's hard to deal with disappointment. It really is. But that's the thing about expectations--they almost always LEAD to disappointments. Because humans aren't robots. They are humans. They don't always (or ever, really) do what we want them to do. They do what THEY want to do. The nerve, right? Almost as if they have their own thoughts and needs and desires that don't necessarily add up with our own. I'm being a little bit facetious, but only to make my point. We can't expect people to be who we want them to be, or do what we want them to do. All we can do--ALL we can do--is love people no matter what. And love is what will edify people. Love is what will show people that more excellent way that is Jesus. Building people up works. Beating people down just makes things worse. Kicking people when they're down is kind of the worst thing you can do. Because they're already down. And, listen, I'm not saying you should just passively sit back and accept everything that people say and do. I don't think turning the other cheek when someone slaps you means you should stand there and let them keep slapping you. I think Jesus was more speaking of not retaliating. Which is a good policy when it comes to being a peacemaker. Here's what I'm trying to say tonight: You don't have to love everything someone does in order to love THEM. Love is not conditional. It is, in fact, unconditional. Love has nothing to do with what someone does and everything to do with who someone is. With who our heavenly Father is. With that relationship between ourselves and our heavenly Father. And how that relationship with HIM manifests in our relationship with EACH OTHER. Because that's the key: Receiving God's love... and RELEASING God's love. Letting what's inside us come out of us. Letting God edify US, and build US up... and then edifying each other by building each other up. And there's the rub. Because it's hard to build someone up when you're disappointed in them. Or angry with them. When they've done something you don't like, or approve it. It's hard to continue to express your love for people when you're upset. The thing you have to ask yourself is whether what you're doing is helping or hurting. Because, again, kicking someone when they're already down is kind of the worst thing you can do. It's just going to make matters worse. So you don't have to like it, but you do have to deal with it. You do have to... listen. When Jesus was on the cross... when the very human race that He had come to save were killing Him... when they had a chance to let Him off the hook but cried out for Barabbas... Jesus raised His voice to His Father and cried out. Not for vengeance. Not for salvation. But for forgivneness. Even then and there, with His dying breath, all He wanted to do was take care of us. Take care of the people that were beating Him, and mocking Him, and killing Him. That's our example. That's the kind of love that God has filled us with. That's the kind of love that we can fill each other with. Unconditionally. No matter what. And that's the kind of love that makes a difference in this world. That's the kind of love that changes things. That's the kind of love the people--ALL people, everybody--needs. We don't need to be beaten down. We need to be built up. We need to be loved!