Humbly Walking in Grace

What does it mean to love? What is love anyway? Is it just that warm fuzzy feeling you get? Or is there something more? I have known that there are two kinds of love, unconditional and conditional. But what does that mean?

We as people have a dilemma, we are depraved, we are incapable of loving unconditionally. Meaning that it is absolutely impossible to love anyone with no strings attached, without getting something out it for ourselves. Unconditional love is simply selfless love, no matter what the cost, no matter what the circumstance unconditional love is still love. Yet, conditional love, is simply self love. What's in it for me? I don't feel like loving them today? She hurt me, so I don't love her anymore. This love is everything but unconditional. We as people live according to conditions, it is in our nature.

But the cool thing is that through God we can obtain unconditional love and we can love unconditionally. Christ died, not for himself, but for us. What did Christ receive from his death? He received nothing for himself. He died so that we can live, he died so that we can love. It is Christ who enabled us the ability to love with unconditional love. But do we, do we love.

This past week I have seen people love, but I have seen the results of people's conditional love as well. Thursday was Thanksgiving. A time to gather with family and friends, a time to eat, a time watch football, a time to be thankful for what WE got. How many of us ran out of food? How many of us were out shivering in the cold? How many of us were really thankful?

Thursday, I had the opportunity to serve dinner downtown at the Portland Rescue Mission. There were over 20 volunteers. There were well over 300 men and women who were without food, without shelter, without love. But as we served them, as they saw us on Thanksgiving day providing them with an abundance of food of which they probably only get one or two times a year they were THANKFUL. It doesn't matter why those people were there, it doesn't matter why they can't seem to do better, they were THANKFUL. They need unconditional love. They need Christ. I stood there serving and watching the men and women laughing and talking amongst themselves, I began to realize how much I take for granted. I often fret about what I don't have, and hardly take the time to be thankful for what I do have. It was a humbling experience, it was reality check. Those precious people need love, need food, need Christ as much as I do. As much as we ALL do.

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" Matt. 25: 34-40

Written by an anonymous Christian

When you are forgotten, neglected, or purposely set aside, and you don't sting or hurt with the insult or oversight, but your heart is happy that you have been counted worthy to suffer for Christ...that is dying to self.

When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed, your advice disregarded, your opinion ridculed, and you refuse to let your anger rise in your heart or even defend yourself, but take it all in patient and loving silence...that is dying to self.

When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity, any impunctuality, any annoyance, when you can stand face to face with waste, folly extravagance, and spiritual insensibility, and endure it as Jesus endured it...that is dying to self.

When you are content with any food, any offering, any climate, any society, any solitude, any interruption by the will of God...that is dying to self.

When you never care to refer to yourself in conversation, or to record your good works, or itch after commendations, when you can truly love to be unknown...that is dying to self.

When you can see your brother prosper and have his needs met, and honestly rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy, nor question God while your own needs go unmet in far more desperate circumstances...that is dying to self.

When you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself, and can humbly submit inwardly as well as outwardly, feeling no rebellion or resentment rising up within your heart...that is dying to self.

And Jesus said:
"If any one wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for my sake shall find it." Matt. 16:24,25