An Inconvenient Love

"Greater love has no one than this—than to lay down one's life for his friends." (John 15:13)

I heard a message the other day that stated:  

"Loving people the way that Jesus loved people will cause you some inconvenience."

What a sobering and inconvenient reminder.

But it's a reminder I need daily.

Truth be told, like most everyone else, I want some major peace, happiness and comfort in this life.  "Dying to self?"  "Take up my cross daily?"  That certainly doesn't come naturally.  Not for me anyway.  But hey, keep those "blessings" coming.

Over the last decade I've grown increasingly sickened and weary of the whole materialistic christian sub-culture. Some call it "Churchianity."  So many churches have become like cliquey country clubs with polished marketing campaigns, catering to specific demographics. It's such a consumer mindset. Christians have their Christian bumper stickers. We have our fancy leather bible covers with all kinds of religious slogans on them.  You can even get camouflage bible covers.  There are hundreds of cool religious bumper stickers letting the world know that we don't agree with their pagan views. Thousands of religious hats and t-shirts galore. Pastors and church youth groups everywhere are doing their darndest to make church and Jesus "cool." We have thousands of Christian songs we can download to our i-Pods. Church goers complain if the music and bands on Sunday morning are not just to their liking.  People fill out comment cards telling the pastor they don't like how he taught something.  People don't like the coffee the church serves. Not enough doughnuts. They don't play enough contemporary songs.  They don't play enough old hymns. I have to walk a block from where I parked to get to the church building. The parking lot attendant was rude to me. It's too warm in here today. It's too cold...

Aren't you sick of it?

How many of us who call ourselves "Christians" ever allow ourselves to be bothered to actually help someone in need?  

In Matthew chapter 25, Jesus said:

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’"

I think that says it all.

Today I needed the reminder that Jesus demonstrating His love for a lost world was inconvenient. It cost Him something.  It cost Him everything. He laid down His life for you and for me.

"Greater love has no one than this—than to lay down one's life for his friends."

     —An inconvenient love.

—God is Love, and Love Never Fails.