LOVE FLU



Life as a Christ-follower is, first and foremost, about love. Don't let anyone tell you that it's really about having a particular political view, or that its really about being against certain social issues, or that it's really about adhering to a certain doctrinal statement, or that it's really about being organized, efficient and self-disciplined. Those things do have their place — and their place is all significantly behind what God has said is first place in the Believer’s life: Love. As Jesus said, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:35) This is where the Chris-life begins and ends—loving God, loving people. He's shown us what love is. He's given us an example to follow. By loving others as he loved us, we become complete in our love for him.

Christ-followers don't have a great reputation these days. We are often minimized because our message is misunderstood. Sometimes it's because it isn't. Christ-followers have been guilty of emphasizing the wrong things. Sometimes we're known only for what we're against. Sometimes we have a tendency to major on minor issues.

We need to direct our message to what's most important. I remember hearing sermons  in the 1970’s against bell-bottoms, shaggy hair, and rock music. And the peace symbol: there was supposedly something inherently evil about it. There are some who believe that we are at war with the culture, which is the same as saying that we're at war with the world. We are at war, but "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness in this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Ephesians 6:12)

We are not at war with people. Just like "God so loved that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life" — our attitude toward people must be the same as his. We need to get aggressive about showing the world that we love them so that they will know that there is a God who loves them, too.

I'm against a lot of things. I could preach against one of them every week of the year and still not cover them all. But that's not what defines me and it's not what defines the church I pastor. Too many people think taking a stand means being against something. I want to take a stand for Jesus Christ. I want to take a stand for loving others. In order for the church to make a difference in this culture, we must love the world as God so loved the world.

The Italian word for influence is influenza. The malady we call the flu for short was named influenza because it's so contagious. Christ-followers need to be contagious in this culture; we do it by loving others. Maybe we need to spend a little less time telling the world what to think, and a little more time showing them what love looks like. The world's idea of love is "I will love you as long as it's easy, convenient, and it benefits me." God's idea of love is "I will love you because I am love, and because you are precious and valuable to me." Imagine the difference you and I could make if the world perceived this as our message.

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