It is so easy to lose your way even with directions. I have so often missed my turn even with the GPS voice nagging me by telling me I have already “arrived” because I was so focused on the directions that I didn’t see the road sign. I was so distracted trying to pay attention to the directions that I got confused.
When it comes to how we live, we can also get so busy with our directions that we miss the destination. We work so hard on doing the right thing and going the right way. We long to please our God. To be obedient. To bring Him the glory. We strive to live morally and make an effort to avoid the immoral.
We are vocal in our disapproval of others because silence would perhaps deny who we represent. Perhaps we can even find biblical justification for our disapproval. Our disapproval might be towards the lives of the lost. It might be towards our brother or sister in Christ. But disapproval permeates. It skulks along looking for an opportunity to erupt into confrontation. To erupt into conflict. Once it erupts, it becomes insatiable. It sees demons in every doorway, enemies in every friend, and suspicion in every conversation. But Christ did not call us to criticize or disparage one another.
“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.” – 1 John 4: 11-12
Christians are often called hypocrites by non-believers and it might be true. We retain a sin nature that we cannot shed on our own. We are no better than the thief, the violent, the worshiper of false gods. We have only the tatter and filth of our actions to give to God and it is not enough. But I don’t think non-believers are as appalled at our sin nature as they are at our condemnation of others who bear the same sin nature that we bear. They are appalled at our reluctance to love.
The good news of the Gospel starts with the indelible love of God. His love is His very nature and He has loved us since creation. He sent His Son to reconcile us to Him. He sent His Son and His Son gave His life for us. No love could be greater. A moment spent in His love is better than any time spent anywhere else. It can fill you with delirious joy and make you weep. It is an indescribable and heavenly passion.
Nothing is more attractive than the pure love of the True God. We who confess Him and acknowledge Him are His signposts. We are His ambassadors and are called to bring others into this incomparable joy. But the message of God’s loving nature can be overshadowed by our denunciation of the ones who we are called to love. We are called to exemplify the love of God. We are called to participate in it. But we rebuff it when we disapprove of others. We sow dissension with our brothers and wrath towards strangers. Instead of being a signpost for the joy of living in Christ, our directions to God points others to a hopeless path pockmarked by ruts and the tolls that are impossible to pay.
The world is looking for directions. They are looking for the directions to peace on earth. They are looking for directions to overcome fear. They are looking for directions to beat loneliness and isolation. But they are so busy looking at maps and concentrating on how to get to their destination that they drive right by. The destination is the love of God and the directions are quite simple: love one another. Let your love be evident. Hang love on the doorposts of your heart and let it guide your speech with others. No one has seen God, but people have seen you. And your directions to God, your life, depends on your example of love.
Written by Janet Keefe
