Walking in love

I have had a somewhat trying week and "The Love Walk" has really been on my mind and in my heart more than it usually is. Do we really know what it means to walk in love? Is it possible to always walk in love? Do we desire to walk in love? Can we have a disagreement and continue to walk in love?

I think that, for many of us, walking in love is a concept that we think we understand, but the reality is that we often times allow our human side, our flesh, to prevent us from executing that walk. I think there are many facets to walking in love and probably the most common one we hear is to turn the other cheek. And it's such a hard thing to do! Especially when someone has hurt you, wounded you, or zinged you. We want to immediately retaliate with our own barrage of verbal garbage to make them hurt in the same way we do. Misery loves company, right?

I was listening to Focus on the Family this morning and Anne Graham Lotz shared a story of how she once had a small dog that was accidentally run over by a car. When she ran to the poor animal, the first thing he did was bite her. She scooped him up and took him to the vet and she later asked her mother, "Why did he bite me?" Her mother told her that it doesn't matter whether it's a four-legged or two-legged animal, the first thing one wants to do when they're in pain is to lash out. And I think it's important to recognize that because Anne loved the animal, she overlooked the bite and did what was right, anyway. How awesome would this world be if more people applied that to their dealings with other humans?

So, how do we turn the other cheek and walk in love? Is it possible to calmly say, "You have hurt me by doing/saying _____," and not lash out at that person? Of course it is, but it takes a conscious effort and it requires the courage to face the person who hurt you, knowing that you've probably hurt them, too, and you will have to deal with that, as well. You have to deny your flesh the desire to lash out, call names, or make threats and snide comments. You have to control your words, your actions, and your tone of voice. You have to remember that lashing out is just a way of getting even, it won't solve the problem, and will more than likely make the situation worse. You have to be willing to listen without trying to talk over the other person or get the last word in. That's what children do and isn't the point of growing to get past all of that adolescent behavior? Be willing to hear and consider the other side of the story. Be willing to consider that you might be (gasp!) wrong and you might be (bigger gasp!) the one causing the problem. Perhaps, before we speak, we should ask ourselves, "Will my words help or hurt the situation or will they just make my flesh feel better?"

If I'm turning the other cheek, maybe my best course of action is to not speak or respond at all. Why risk an emotional reaction that you can't retract? Your flesh might tell you, "It has to be said," but, does it really? And if it does need to be said, is it walking in love to have a hateful, overbearing, accusatory, exasperated, snippy, holier-than-thou tone of voice or attitude? Another story that Anne Graham Lotz told today was that of Jesus, being falsely accused and not defending himself and not lashing out at his accusers. 

1 Peter 2:23 

He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.

"But, that was Jesus!" you say. If you're a Christian, don't you desire to have the heart of Jesus? Don't you desire to be more Christ-like? So, don't you at least want to try to walk in love as He did?

I try to work on all of these things in my own life and some days I have more practice subjects than others. Haha! I fall short of the glory of God every day. But, I get back up and try again, confessing and seeking forgiveness and, as I've said before, I have much room to grow. I think we could all use less bitterness, more forgiveness, less self-righteousness, more tolerance, less hate, and more love in our lives. And like everything else, walking in love is a choice we each have to make. 

You can listen to Focus on the Family's program online at www.focusonthefamily.com.