Responding with Love

In the course of our lives, we all will encounter people who exhibit some level of animosity towards us for no tangible reason. As a normal human being, there are tendencies within us to respond to the exhibited animosities either with the same level of animosity or to respond with love. I see myself sometimes leaning towards responding with similar animosity. Regardless of how we react to such situations, I consider these tendencies to be natural reactions. But as Christians, we have been called to peace, and that is the focus of my post today.

When we turn our lives over to the Lord Jesus Christ, we are also committing to a life led in pursuit of Christian maturity on all fronts. Let's read the following scriptures:

As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:  (1Peter 2:2 KJV)

Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.  (1Corinthians 14:20 KJV)

(9) For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;  (10)  That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;  (11)  Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness; (Colossians 1:9-11 KJV) 

Desiring the sincere milk of the word requires that we make a conscious effort to nourish the spirit and the soul daily, just as we would the flesh. For the believer in Christ, nourishing the spirit and the soul is critical for gaining understanding in order to walk worthy of the Lord. When our lives are truly guided by the word of God, fleshly tendencies give way to the Holy Spirit who enables us to live a life that is pleasing and acceptable to God. 

Over the course of my walk with Christ, I have learned that what the world needs to experience from the body of Christ, is unconditional love. And majority of the people we will encounter, even within the Church, are in desperate need of unconditional love. Our Lord and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, looks to the matured Christian to make a difference within your circles, be it at home, Church, the workplace, the shopping mall, or within your neighborhood, by demonstrating unconditional love regardless of how the people we encounter choose to treat us.

The sermon by the Lord Jesus Christ on the mount, which we read in Matthew 5 (also in Luke 6), is a powerful demonstration of responding with love when facing animosity. We read below:

(38) Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: (39) But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. (40) And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. (41) And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. (42) Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. (43) Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. (44) But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; (45) That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. (46) For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? (47) And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? (48) Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. (Matt 5:38-48 KJV)

When we encounter animosity, you first need to realize you have been prepared as a matured Christian for such a time as this. We demonstrate that we are indeed the children of God when we respond to animosity with love. A life that is fully transformed by the word of God, has a stronger urge to respond to animosity with love and not with animosity. And indeed, that is made possible by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. As we read in Colossians 1:11, the matured Christian is "strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness." 

Beloved in Christ, we cannot add to the misery around us by exhibiting 'childlike' tendencies when facing different types of animosity. But what is more is that there is a blessing that results from responding with love; it keeps you healthy both physically and spiritually. The following scriptures make this clear:

(14) Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:  (15)  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; (Hebrews 12:14-15 KJV) 

The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?  (Proverbs 18:14 KJV)

 Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.  (Proverbs 16:24 KJV)

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.  (Proverbs 17:22 KJV)

As Christians, we have been called to peace. We can make a true difference when we allow the Holy Spirit to transform us to the very likeness of Christ, who, despite the animosity he faced here on earth responded with unconditional love by laying down his life so that we might be saved.

I believe there is a reason you are reading this message. It is my sincere prayer that the Holy Spirit helps us all to truly live as children of God who show unconditional love regardless of the different types of animosity we will face in our lives.

God bless you!