Love is Action

About a week ago, I was sitting on my dorm room floor, praying for God to show me how to love someone that I don't like at all. For quite some time, I have struggled over the question: how do we, as followers of Christ, deal with feelings of envy, animosity, or disdain, let alone, love people as Christ did? I think God is beginning to show me that answer.

You see, I discovered this week the importance of the fact that love begins with action. We can't muster up feelings of affection for people. We can choose to act as if we had affection for them--we can choose to serve them. I gave this a try one day last week, and was shocked to discover that such service was both satisfying, because I knew I was doing what God wanted me to do, and that I began to feel more charitable toward the person I was serving. It was such a freeing experience for me--I finally understood the glory of what Christ commands us: "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."
Love isn't always easy--service isn't always easy. God reminded me of that last week as well. For me, it is difficult to love by being patient with others when I feel they are wasting my time. I can easily become irritable or contentious instead of listening in love. That's an area I need to pray about and grow in. I know by the grace of God I can work through that.
Scripture says: "Greater love has no man than this: that he lay down his life for a friend." And to that I say: Amen! May God give us all the grace to love one another in that way.
I want to leave you with an excerpt of "As I Walked Out One Evening," a poem by W.H. Auden which gut-wrenchingly captures the command to love our neighbor, even when it is difficult.

"O stand, stand at the window
As the tears scald and start;
You shall love your crooked neighbor
With all your crooked heart."

Last semester, these words were hugely convicting to me, reminding me of my own sinfulness and the ugliness of my contempt for others. I love how God uses literature to work in my life, and more, how He uses His Word and presence to conform me to the image of Christ.