August 2, 2024
By Jen Stanbro
What I’ve been seeing lately is grieving my heart…well…that’s nothing new, but I guess today I feel like maybe saying a thing about it…could be a worthwhile thing to do.
I think this one is for those who proclaim to have Jesus’ transforming power in their spirit—
Picture your beloveds. Your kids, if you’re a parent. What if you loved and cared about every person the same way you do your precious children? No less. No differently.
Don’t keep reading till you picture your least favorite politician or celebrity…as your beloved.
Can’t?
Therein lies the problem.
Because that’s what having the heart of Jesus would be like. Only better, without your ugliness or weakness. Or did you think Jesus and Paul and Stephen were talking about sacrifices and love that didn’t apply to you?
The reality is really that simple. But also elusive to an alarming number.
Regarding your kids — How do you talk about your kids? How about the ones making choices you don’t agree with? How do you post about them? Do you think they’d be eager to come home and reconcile your relationship if you spent your social media life attacking them?
Now – What if you treated every person, spoke about every person, THOUGHT about every person in a way that truly had their best interests at heart? With love and compassion, unshockable, unoffendible…
What if you aimed every word and deed and thought toward demonstrating to every single person (even the ones who will never read or hear your words or see your actions) how much you care about them?
I suspect the collateral goodness would be unmissable.
The ripples… (this will never not have me thinking of Will Farrell, but anyways) … the ripples would be, not only beautiful and farther reaching than you could imagine, but also powerful in their ability to brighten an otherwise gloomy spirit, making it glow with the warmth of God’s actual love.
Not the love people get wrong unawares.
Christians, may I gently remind you that your stand is ON BEHALF of all people.
FOR THE LOVE of all people.
Anything that even remotely contradicts this doesn’t belong in your newsfeed, your words, your actions, your thoughts.
Thanks for reading,
Sincerely,
Jen