November 7 Love

Luke 8:26-27 They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. 27 When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs.
 
RECENTLY, I spoke to a group of pastors in Kenya and Uganda regarding pastoral love from Ephesians 5:1-2 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
   In the context of “being an imitator of God”, I spoke of God’s admonition to love and my own heart and ministry that needs more love. In these past months, the Holy Spirit has put on my heart, “You need to love more.” He has caused me to look at my life, relationships and ministry to teach me, “Love more.”
   My response is often one of regret. I’d like to go back to all to whom I have ministered and say to each one, “Please forgive me for not loving you as I should have. I have not been a good imitator of God’s love to you.”
   In that context, more than one pastor in Kenya and Uganda came to me to say, “This teaching has impacted me. I realize I need to go back to my church to love them more. I also need to go to the unlovable people, even the drunkards in my village to show them Jesus’ love.”
   As Jesus goes to the demon possessed man in the region of the Gerasenes, he demonstrates the love we are to imitate. Here is the Master of the Universe. Remember, he is the one who has just calmed the winds and quieted the waves. He can go anywhere he wants; the world is at his disposal. Where does he want to go? He wants to go to the Gerasenes to love the naked, demon-possessed man who lives amid the dead.
   Ministry is difficult if we truly imitate God. We each see unlovable, even disgusting-looking people we want to avoid. We’d rather minister to people we like. We want to imitate God’s love amid those who believe in God. But there are those times when we need to imitate Jesus’ love in the very hard places. Imitating God requires we put away our comforts. We turn from our judgments. With grace, we simply say to someone, “Jesus loves you.”
   Loving others as yourself is a good way to imitate God.
 
Prayer: Teach me to love as you do, Lord. Amen.