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Show Love Often



To Live a Life of Love is a profound way to exist. 

I am having a block on how to even begin to expand upon these words that I have tried to live by.  They are powerful in and of themselves.  Instead of trying to bring new life to them, I will simply bring to light how they affect me and my daily life. 

I used to think that everyone approached life as I do, and not in a self righteous way.  I assumed they wanted things to flow better and work better and change for the good and that everyone was willing to work to make this happen.  They would put their interests aside for the best interests of the group.  As long as no one was asking for anything too demanding, people pretty much go with the flow. 

These assumptions have proven wrong time after time.  For awhile, I lost a little faith in humanity.  People do not what to work and do what is best for everyone, they want to do what is the least amount of effort for them and what makes them the most comfortable.  Selfishness is detestable to me.  Sure, I will allow some grace and I definitely need it at times, but a generally selfish person cannot fit into my life.  I do not understand how selfish people have children, get married, have meaningful friendships, and most importantly relate with God.

In order to succeed in any of these life aspects, you must be willing to give up time and energy, and those are what selfish people want to spend on themselves.  They want to spend their time and energy on themselves.  A selfish person some in all forms.  It breaks my heart to see laziness as a state of mind which cannot even be discussed without a fight breaking out.  This is the opposite of a life of love.  Self sacrifice means requiring nothing of those around you.  It means doing things you do not necessarily want to do because it makes other people happy.  Why is it so hard to eat a meal our mother made us that we don’t really like, but when we go to another country we can eat bugs because it is their culture and we can’t disrespect that?  Where is the discrepancy?  Am I missing it?

I saw a mother bossing around her husband and children in a mall and telling them they were stupid while she sat on a bench and made them bring things to her.  If she didn’t like it they had to walk in and return it or get her something else.  What kind of lessons is she teaching her family?  Children are treated as servants and she is the queen of her world.  That is no living a life of love.  Her family feels no worth.

What about the homeless people you see in the street?  Do you walk right past them or do you love them?  Most of them are perfectly normal, but they have lost everything and have no family or credit or back up plan.  Why do we turn up our nose and walk into the restaurant without even bothering to ask if they just need a friend.  Why don’t we spend $5 less on ourselves and give them a sandwich?  This is a personal struggle of mine.

How about that elderly lady who needs help carrying her groceries?  Is it loving to walk right past her, jump in our car, and go about our day? What do we really HAVE to do that is stopping us?

I have heard many a sermon on this same topic and always feel like I want to roll my eyes.  Living this way is exhausting and honestly easy to avoid… but isn’t that why it is so important?  Be different.  Blending in is overrated.

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