Loving God's Masterpiece

"Can you love someone who hates God?" -- Eric Johnson (July 2014)

I don't know why it is so easy for me to genuinely love the secular world {easier than it is for me to love some people in the church, sometimes, that's for sure} and so hard for others. I don't know why I make friends with the liberals, the atheists, the socialists, the evolutionists, the Democrats, the antitheists. You name it, I probably call that person a friend.

Why?

I swear, up and down, I swear, it is not because I walk into a situation, meet people, and think, "Oh, these poor people. They do not know Jesus. I must love them so that they experience Him."

Heck, no. There have been times when I've done that, but those occurrences are few and far between nowadays.

I walk into a situation, meet people, and think, "Wow, that person is really funny. That girl was really kind to me. That guy--he likes soccer. That other guy, he's really wise. That girl over there, she's a world champion Quidditch player."

I walk into a situation and am honored to know these people, because they are amazing. They are so amazing. They are smart, funny, successful, wise, kind, helpful, joking, hospitable, creative, deep, serious, lighthearted, caring, well-organized, responsible, wonderful people. I can't believe I get to know them. I'm genuinely honored to call them friends.

It has nothing to do with Christianity. These people are cool.

It has everything to do with Christianity. Jesus thinks these people are cool.

I get to know these people. I have the privilege of knowing these people. God brings these amazing people into my life--they are each and every one of them a gift. He wanted me to have the pleasure of knowing them. I mean, He made them. If you are "fearfully and wonderfully made," don't you think they might be too?

/begin{rant} How dare we come upon people and scorn them? How dare we shun a friendship just because they "are too liberal" or "don't believe in God"? How dare we say that a creation of God is not worth our full love just because of what they think? I think the fact that they are God's masterpiece should transcend all of that, don't you? THE FACT THAT GOD MADE THEM SHOULD INFLUENCE YOUR LOVE MORE THAN THE FACT THAT THEY BELIEVE THEY EVOLVED FROM AN AMOEBA.

I call these people friends. Why? Because they're amazing. How do I know that? I met them, and I asked God what He thought of them. He thinks they're amazing. HE DESIGNED THEM, OF COURSE THEY ARE. /end{rant}

This isn't love with an agenda. Love, by definition, has no agenda. Once there is an agenda, it is not love.

Sometimes we over-complicate love. Love is honor. Honor is appreciation. And, let me tell you, it is a lot easier to appreciate a person's strengths than it is to sit there and strategize how to "love" them. When you are aware of how cool a person is--when you are aware of their great traits, their successes, their charm--you appreciate them without thinking. Because when you're tuned into His voice, all you see is His glory manifested in His creation. You see the gifts and talents He bestowed on your new friend. You realize what an honor it is to come into contact with such a masterpiece.

That appreciation manifests as love. No work required. Nothing required, actually, other than a relationship with a God who fashioned people fearfully and wonderfully and loves it when we appreciate His creation.

Questions for Holy Spirit
Want to try to embark on a new journey of loving genuinely? Here are a few questions I've been known to ask Holy Spirit when I meet people. Feel free to steal. :) Remember, God likes to talk to His kids, and you can hear His voice.

• What is Your favorite thing about this person?
• What were you thinking when You made them?
• What traits/actions of this person make You proud?
• What is Your plan for them? How did You design them for that plan?

Let me tell you, it's easy to love and hard to hate after the answers to those questions. :)