To Love a Person is to See Them as God
Intends Them to Be
Fedor Dostoyevsky
I have discovered in the midst of
all the cultural corruption, social unrest and political disgust that I am
angry. I seem to allow Fox News to assist my anger! I feel a sense of
revulsion, repulsion and repugnance. I am not only angry at sin, I am angry at
sinners. Lately, I have been studying my words and surveying my thoughts about
certain people. (I am sure you have your own list!)
I have also been reflecting on
what it means to be like Jesus and what it looks and sounds like to respond
like Jesus. There are many illustrations from the words and works of the Lord
as to how to live in the world. But one night a scene from the gospels struck
me, words that I know quite well and a scene from scripture that is pungent
with meaning.
There Jesus was - flogged, beaten,
scourged within an inch of His life, condemned by the Romans, cursed by the
Jews, hanging from the cross. Experiencing alienation from both God and man,
mocked by onlookers, taunted by bystanders, waiting to die.
And then He said it. I can hardly
believe He said it.
"Father Forgive THEM for
they know not what they are doing."
I know what I would have said,
"To HELL with ALL of YOU! NOW!"
But that is not what He said. He
said, "Father I wish to hold out Heaven to them."
As Pastor John Mitchell has said,
"Love is sincerely wishing God's very best for someone else and
doing what you can to see it come about."
I do
not like the people on my list. But I can love them and I can pray for them,
for God's very best for them.
How about your list?
Serving Him with you
Until
He comes for us,
Fred