60-Days-of-Second: Follow along as 15 bloggers journey through 4 readings each from the new book, Live Second: 365 Ways to Make Jesus First. Together they will blog through 60-Days-of-Second. Register to follow at www.iamsecond.com/blog. Get the “Live Second” book in stores December 9.
Day 4 by Aaron Conrad
“But wherever we start, love is the medicine for our lives and the prescription for our predicaments.” –Live Second, 5.
Have you ever read the “Love Chapter” (1 Corinthians 13)? Most likely you have heard this passage at a wedding, seen it on a poster, maybe even have it on some artwork in your home. It’s very popular. Sometimes I wonder if it isn’t like the National Anthem. Let me explain:
When you go to a ballgame and stand for the National Anthem, do you just go through the words anticipating the big matchup that will take place as soon as you get through this formality? Do you really consider the words and the implications of the song? We’ve heard it so many times we don’t really think about it anymore. We just want to hear them say “play ball.” I think that can be said for this incredibly important guide to love too.
Imagine you were talking to someone and they said that they could do the following:
- Speak in tongues
- Prophecy
- Understand the mystery of God and are all knowing
- Literally move mountains
- Give all they have to the poor
- Surrender their body as a sacrifice
I’m not sure about you, but that is a pretty strong resume. I would be impressed. I’d drop their name in conversations with others if I knew them. I’d say things like, “I know this dude that can literally move mountains” and other people would probably want to meet them too. Here’s the crazy thing… according to the Apostle Paul,
They have NOTHING.
Zero
Zilch
Nada
All of the other stuff means nothing if they are missing one huge thing….love.
Ouch.
What Paul is saying is that it’s like having a Ferrari with no gas,
an iPad with no battery,
a basketball hoop with no basketball
and a pool with no water.
To do these things and posses them is wonderful but without the most important thing… you basically have nothing. We as people and the Church can do some wonderful things in our communities. But I wonder how often we do them as an act of love.
John 13:35 says, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another”
As we move through this Live Second journey together, let’s set our baseline with love being the driver for all we do. On our resume, let’s make it the top “achievement” and “goal and objective”. If you’ve got a fever for hate, your only prescription is love. Love the one that hurt you. Love your enemy. Love the one that you haven’t forgiven. Love the one that won’t love you back. Without it, we have nothing. Let’s have something. Let’s love. Let’s Live Second.
Next for the 60-Days-of-Second:
Day 5- “Childless” by Jon Cook
Hey Aaron,
Thanks for your 4rth day of sharing “it’s All About Love”. I don’t know about other people but I find it really hard to love someone who doesn’t love in return. Although I realize it is One Of Christ’s Greatest Commandments..I feel like it is a waste of my time and energy. I find myself having to actually WORK at loving that person that doesn’t love in return, or forgive etc.
When I got divorced, as hard as it was to conceive that I was actually getting divorced…because I thought when I said I Do …I thought It would be for Forever. Anyway, I was asked by my BFF if I would go with her to see a Counselor who deals in helping people After The Divorce. I agreed but not without some reservations about it. During the several months that I went to see this Counselor he asked me to do just ONE VERY IMPORTANT EXERCISE..He asked me to to Pray for my Ex-husband EVERYTHING that I would pray for myself..and to REALLY MEAN IT. So I did. It was VERY HARD at first..and MANY tears were shed over the next several months. But I walked away from that experience having learned to pray for someone who I didn’t feel was worthy of my prayers, or Forgiveness…but I am so Glad that I went through with The Promise To Pray For my Ex.
Today I do love the man “That I Married”…I just don’t love what he turned into…Nor am I IN LOVE with him…I have learned to tell the two apart. Today I am able to still Pray for him without it making me hurt etc. So In a VERY SMALL Way I have learned just a little of what it means to Live Second….Thanks for the reminder Aaron. 🙂
I forgot to mention that I am SO GRATEFUL TO GOD that HE LOVED ME Before I Loved Him, and That He Forgave me Before I even Asked!!!!
B.J. – Thanks for your honesty and for sharing your story. One thing about blogging is that it’s really easy to make it sound like I’ve got it all together when I’m sitting behind a keyboard. The reality is that loving others is not easy. Especially when there is a history there. I wish I could say that I am great about it, but I’m not. It’s a work in progress. Proud of you for making the efforts and strides necessary to love others!