Love Must Be...

"Love must be sincere."  ~Romans 12:9

for some reason, this verse resonated in my heart all day today. it stayed there like saran wrap sticks to you and even when you try and get it off, it always comes back. that's what it was like today.

Love must be sincere.

as i thought about it, i realized that there are many days that i "love" people or put "love" into what i do and/or say...but i really am only doing it half-heartedly. i'm only half-listening...half-paying attention...half-sincere. i might be there in the physical...but mentally, i am a million miles away.

and i realized: that's not really love. you can say one thing, but your actions can tell a completely different story. people usually pick up pretty quickly if you're really interested in what they have to say.

or you might say something, but in your heart you feel/mean something completely different. like when something really great happens to one of your close friends and you say "Oh my goodness, i'm so excited for you!!" but on the inside you're cringing with jealousy.

Love is not jealous.

Love must be sincere.

further on in Romans 12, in verse 15, it says: "Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn."

this completely goes along with verse 9. as Christians-brothers and sisters in Christ, the Church-we are called to do life together. so that if someone falls, there will be someone there to pick them up. and if someone receives a reward or an accolade, they have people to come along side them and affirm them and rejoice with them. and because we all have different gifts and responsibilities in the Body of Christ, we should rejoice when one of our own receives a blessing! God's Kingdom is being advanced! if we choose to live in jealousy or comparison, we trap ourselves in self-pity, and we are essentially saying that we deserve a gift or reward or recognition from God. when in reality...all is grace. all is a gift.

on the flip side, if we choose to be blind to the needs that others have, whether it be physical, emotional or spiritual, and see ourselves as better than them because of our "status" or "level of spiritual maturity" or "too good" to associate with them...we trap ourselves in pride and miss out on the blessing of being an encouragement to someone who may desperately just need someone to listen to them. what they are going through is completely unique to them. we may never have gone through something like it, but that gives us no position to overlook those who are experiencing it. lots of times, those going through things feel alone...and all they're really looking for is someone to go through the trenches with them. we are called to bear one another's burdens. we weren't meant to go through this life alone.

"Do not be proud...Do not be conceited."  ~Romans 12:16

we have the unique privilege to come around our brothers and sisters in Christ...and unbelievers...to be a picture of what love is like.

Love rejoices with those who rejoice.
Love mourns with those who mourn.
Love must be sincere.

i desire to be sincere in my love. and i guess the only way to really do that is to receive LOVE Himself...and ask Him to love through me and BE in me. i can't give what i don't have. when i have Him...i have true Love...and sincerity...and the desire to honor others above myself and meet them where they're at, whether that means rejoicing with them in a job promotion, beginning a relationship, getting engaged, getting married, having a baby, receiving praise from someone else...or just having a great day. sharing in someone's joy is a gift to them...and to the one rejoicing with them.

i don't want to be so caught up in my own agenda that i miss out on the opportunities to really, truly, sincerely love others...whatever that may look like.

i don't want to be so selfish and jealous, that i can't bring myself to share in the joy of someone else's achievements or blessings.

i don't want to be so prideful and arrogant that i overlook someone who is hurting or needs a listening ear.

i want to be so enraptured with Jesus and put on His love and exchange my heart for His so that the love that comes from me is really HIS Love.

and His Love...is sincere.