Soul Journey for today
A few years ago I had a disturbing conversation with a pastor. Without going into all the details, he told me of some families in his church who were breaking the law. They were doing things that were flat-out wrong, no question about it. He acknowledged that fact and said if the police came, they would be in big trouble.
I asked him if he or the leaders in his church had confronted the families. I was fully expecting him to say, “Yes.” It was sort of a rhetorical question in my mind. Then he said something that made my jaw drop. He said, “We have chosen the law of love in this case. We’re looking past their behavior and affirming them as people."
Love should never ever endorse what is wrong. Love never says, “I’m going to ignore the wrong that you’ve done, the self-destructive behavior, and the poor testimony that this is projecting because I just want to affirm you as an individual.” That’s not love.
True love cares enough to speak the truth. It’s concerned enough about an individual that it doesn’t let that person stay in sinful behavior. We must never use love as a smokescreen for the real problem. I suspect the real problem my pastor friend was dealing with had little to do with affirming them in love. The real problem was the fear of confrontation.
Philippians 1:9-10 underscores the principle of love that God is calling us to operate within. He says love abounds “with knowledge and all discernment.” This type of authentic love produces Christlikeness. The text says, “so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ."
This is a truth-driven love. It is the love that—when applied—helps us to become more like Jesus. The goal is holiness and righteousness—not just affirmation, confirmation, and sinful choices and behavior. Love is more than just a feeling. It’s surrounded by knowledge and discernment, and it will never ever endorse what is wrong. —Crawford W. Loritts livingalegacy.org
4 comments:
Wow.
Kinda reminds me of the term "tough love".
"The goal is holiness and righteousness—not just affirmation, confirmation, and sinful choices and behavior. Love is more than just a feeling. It’s surrounded by knowledge and discernment, and it will never ever endorse what is wrong." WOW! holiness? righteousness? surrounded by discernment? have to say those are great means to lvoingly press others in the ways of Christ. great post.
It's just love! Jesus' kind of love. The love he showed. The love he exemplified. The love will transform relationships and even society. But anything less that that kind of love isn't love at all. A love that wouldn't confront someone else and show them that Christ created them for something better than how they're living is not love at all. The problem remains the I problem...I don't want to confront because they might stop liking me or something of the sort, so I'd rather, they don't experience what God has for them because there's the chance they'll get offended. But that's neither love, nor friendship.
A very thought provoking post...
I think we, in the church, sometimes confuse "grace" and "mercy" and "consequences of actions"...and we put them under the umbrella of our "Love Walk" (1Cor 13) with others.
I also think peer presure is alive and well in all age groups... even in ministry.
God does give us instruction of how to deal with "wrong doing" situations... Matt 18:16 and Gal 6:1-2... and in following these guidelines we are loving others that have been put into our care...
To prayerfully be lift up our pastoral leadership is so important... asking God to impart divine wisdom and discernment when they are dealing with difficult issues like the one you have referred to...
I am so glad we have a loving and Sovereign God who is in control especially when we screw up situations that affect lives of others.
And a Lord who went to the cross for each one of us... and in him we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God...
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