Walk in Love part 4
I just keep thinking about this picture of two old people walking side by side, holding hands. That, to me, is what it means to walk in love. And you don't have to be old, either. Remember puppy love? When just touching his or her hand sent sparks and goosebumps all the way through you? But the point is to walk together. Paul wrote, "When I am with those we are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some" (1 Corinthians 9:22, NLT). Being all things to all people, I believe the King James Version says. But the point is, if you want to walk with someone, you have to find that common ground. You have to be able to connect with them on some level. You have to be able to put aside your differences. If you're always and only expecting people to agree with you in every thing in every way... well... good luck finding that. Even my son, Logan, who is a mini-me if there ever was one, doesn't agree with me on everything. We don't like the same music. He's a gamer and I'm not. But we still manage to have an amazing relationship. Sometimes we listen to his music, and sometimes we listen to mine. Sometimes we play games, and sometimes we watch TV shows or movies. You can't always have things your way. Unless you want to be alone all the time. And even then you can't ALWAYS have it your way. I don't know where this sense of entitlement came from. People expecting to get what they want when they want it every single time. It's bizzare to me. Now, having said that, I believe that when you can make someone smile... you should. Because the world needs more of that. I preach a lot about seeing a NEED and meeting it. And I stand behind that. Because needs are more important than wants. But guess what... we need to smile sometimes. We need to get a win once in a while. If you can help someone do that, more power to you. And, as always, that means living out of your abundance. You don't need a saw to give someone a hand. You don't have to harm yourself in order to help someone else. If you have TWO coats, give ONE to someone that doesn't have one. Live out of your abundance. Or, better yet, if someone is cold... maybe SHARE your blanket with them. Walk with them. Don't just give 'em the old, "That's a bummer, man. Good luck. Hope you figure it out." Walk with them. Walk in love. Share what you've got. And in that way experience it in a more real and perfect way. Perfect doesn't mean never messing up. It means maturity. If you're mature enough to put someone else's needs (and wants) above your own... that's love. And that's as good as it gets. I've found that when I esteem someone else higher than myself, I don't feel diminished. I feel full. Like Jesus told His disciples, His meat was to do the will of His Father. When we love people, we are not only filling THEM up, but we are filling OURSELVES up to overflowing with what we have already been filled with. We are experiencing the love that God has filled us with by giving it away. By sharing it. By living in it. By walking in it!