The Power of Love

I've been constantly astounded by the power that love has to heal. My boss has been saying for years that the way we help our substance abusing clients to recover is by loving them. I used to think that was possibly idealistic and maybe even naive. Now I've seen this force at work firsthand. What does it mean to love someone? Does it mean saying the words and giving hugs? Does it mean taking care of all of their needs? Loving someone in an authentic way means doing away with one's own ego, one's own needs to be loved, and simply giving of oneself even when the other person doesn't recognize your efforts or actively tries to push you away.

I've recognized this incredible power lately especially with my children, both of which have pushed me away and been decidedly "unloveable" on several occasions. What I've tried to learn is that I don't always do what my children want me to do or give them what they want, but I never stop letting them know that I love them. Kids are good at sniffing out whether your love is authentic or just an ego ploy. When I'm able to convey sincere love for my children, or anyone else in my life, despite the circumstances, miraculous things happen.

Turns out this is what God is all about and what, I think, our life lesson is. Many people ignore their Creator, curse at Him, push Him away, and completely go against His wishes. And yet, He still loves us. Recognizing this persistent, unyielding, sincere and authentic love that God has for us in the face of our complete disobedience is often what finally reels us in. It's the same with our friends, co-workers, teammates and complete strangers that we encounter every day who are far from God. Persistent, unyielding sincere and authentic demonstrated love for others, especially in the face of rejection and sometimes outright hostility, is how we model for others what being a follower of Jesus means. Lately I've ben reading Evangelism Without Additives and the message is clear. Love those around you. You don't need to preach. Your loving example is enough. God will not require of us anymore than we are capable of. All we have to do is demonstrate our love for others in any and all circumstances and He will do the heavy lifting for us. Like my "poker ministry" in sports bars, the book advocates helping others, giving away free attention, and listening with intention, even with people that you might consider to be the "enemy" of Christianity. When your so-called "enemy" sees you loving them, their opinion of you and what you represent as a follower of Jesus is often turned on it's head. Next time you feel like preaching, criticizing, or labeling someone for their un-godly actions, try loving them instead and watch the miracle begin to unfold.