Skip to main content

The Toughest Job You'll Ever Love




Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. (I Corinthians 13:4-8a)

Proud: feeling deep pleasure or satisfaction as a result of one's own achievements, qualities, or possessions or those of someone with whom one is closely associated; having or showing a high or excessively high opinion of oneself or one's importance.

           One of the things that tends to bother me about a lot of Scripture is that it tells me that I don’t matter. I’m just one of the multitude. I’m invisible (in ways that I don’t want to be.) Yes, if I were the only sinner, Jesus would have died for me alone, but I’m not the only sinner. I’m just one of billions. Over and over in my life, I’ve been passed over, the last to be chosen on the team, ignored, abandoned, rejected. Years ago, I discovered that when I meet someone new, I try to impress them with what a freak I am so that they walk away sooner rather than later – because they are going to walk away.  It’s still pride, by the way – and worse, it’s injured pride. The focus is still on Me, Myself and I. 
          How, out of this broken, hurt, self-centered condition am I supposed to love? I suspect that could be the subject of ten thousand blog posts and I feel like I’m just beginning and being so negative about it. Year ago, there was a series on TV called “What Not To Wear.” I liked the show, but I always hated the time that the fashionistas spent shredding the ego of their intervention. I know why they did it. It’s brain-washing 101. It’s the same reason that drill sergeants and training instructors abuse their recruits. It isn’t until the recruit turns from pleasing self to pleasing (or placating) the other or what the other represents that progress can be made. Everything you do must be wrong until or unless it is what the other wants. The goal is to turn you into the image of that other – the fashionista or the soldier, adopting its directives as your standard. 
       Our life is Basic Training…Bootcamp…the 360o mirror. Scripture wasn’t written for five-star generals, but for recruits. As wonderful as people think this description of love is (and it is wonderful), it’s for beginners. It doesn’t get easier, it gets harder. It’s the toughest job you’ll ever love. The first step is to get over around or past yourself.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Higher Thoughts

  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the  Lord . “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)           The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments,   for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord      so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (I Corinthians 2:15-16) If you read about the ancient gods of the various peoples, you’ll find that they think just like people. In fact, they think just like the sort of people we really wouldn’t want to be around. They think like the most corrupt Hollywood producer or, like hormone overloaded teens with no upbringing.   It’s embarrassing to read. I have a friend who argues that because God is not just like us, He is so vastly dif...
2 comments
Read more

Think About These Things

                 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8) This passage is a major challenge for me. Like everyone else, I struggle to keep my thoughts from wandering off into the weeds, then wondering what possible benefits those weeds might have… Sigh. But as a writer, I have to delve at least a little into the ignoble, wrong, impure, unlovely, and debased. After all, there’s no story if everything’s just as it should be and everyone’s happy. As Christians, there are times when we need to deal with all the negatives, but that makes it even more important that we practice turning our minds by force of attention to what is noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. It’s just too easy to get stuck in a swamp. With my...
1 comment
Read more

A Virgin?

           Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)           This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:18)           But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”            “How will this be,” Mary asked the...
Post a Comment
Read more