Christianity comes with an amazing promise: the hope of eternal life. However, I remember thinking as a young person that is a long time away. There has got to be more. Love is the answer.
So, what are the benefits of being a Christian for the here and now? After many years of experience, I can confidently answer that being a Christian builds strong people. I am not talking about muscle bound mental light weights. Tight butts are interesting, but everyone has a butt. I’m talking about people of strong character, people that you can build a life around…who you want to raise your kids…who you can trust to have your back. People who have experienced and can show unconditional love.
Developing Strong Character
So, what does it mean to have strong character? First let me say that it doesn’t happen by magic. You have to exercise or develop your character. Just like you exercise your muscles. It is my goal as a pastor to help believers develop strong character. This goal aligns with Jesus’ final instructions to his disciples. He gave them two directives.
People try to make it complicated, but Jesus only gave us two directives. One, we call The Great Command, which was to “love our neighbor as our self.” The second, The Great Commission, was the instruction of the resurrected Jesus to spread his teachings to all the world. The most famous version of the Great Commission is in Matthew 28:16–20. Do you remember specifically what Jesus told them? He said “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them…” Our commission is to make disciples. It is not just to baptize people, though that is something we should do. Our goal is to change lives and make people more Christ like, developing in them the same strength of character that was in Jesus.
How does one go about making disciples? Luckily, we have a blueprint for what a disciple should look like. Galatians 5:22-23 lists nine fruits of the Spirit. Many sermons have been preached on the fruits of the Spirit, but I want to put flesh and bone on these words and provide real-life, modern day application of these important concepts.
Love On Display
I’ll start with just one of these luscious fruits to put on display: love. Not romantic love…which fades away, but “real” love which lasts. Sorry young people, I hate to burst the bubble, but the kind of love displayed mostly on TV and movies, romantic love is really just infatuation, meaning an intense but short-lived passion or admiration for someone. Yeah, I know you think she is “so fine” and you can’t stop thinking about her, which is good and part of God’s plan. For without infatuation, there would be no marriage and no procreation. In other words, there would be no new babies born to populate the earth. Unless, we agree to the arranged marriage model. I can say from experience romantic love or infatuation is good, but true love is even better. It is the kind of love that Paul is concerned with in Galatians.
I define love as unselfish concern for others. A disciple of Christ is not allowed to hate. We are required to love…even our enemies. Jesus is alone in all of the religious leaders of the world, Muhammad, Budda, Confucius, in commanding that we love and forgive even our enemies. There is no legal requirement for human beings to love an enemy. It is just not logical to expect us to love without the expectation that our love will be reciprocated. Yet, this is exactly what Jesus asks of his followers. Love without the expectation of reciprocation. So, I make these statements with confidence. People that are spewing out hate on social media are not demonstrating the characteristics of Jesus. People that are spewing out hate from the pulpit are not demonstrating the characteristics of Jesus. Leaders who are spewing out hate are not demonstrating the characteristics of Jesus.
Unconditional Love
Christ demonstrated unconditional love for us. “While we were yet sinners…” So, let me give you a real-life example. Lizzy is a mother and wife who unconditionally and sacrificially loves her children…and her husband. Some of this is her mothering instinct, but it is not just that. Not all mothers love their children in this way. Not all mothers are willing to sacrifice all for their children. I’ve heard many mothers say “I can’t wait until they turn 18. When they turn 18 they are on their own.” In other words, I’ve sacrificed enough for these kids. I want to focus on me for a change.
Not so with Liz. Our children range in age from 27 to 34 years old and this week Liz sacrificed almost all of her time for them. Sunday was babysitting grandkids at Chandlers. Tuesday morning early, it was getting Juliet to the bus stop, in the cold, then, babysitting Scarlet, and, next, making dinner for the Gecks. Wednesday, it was back to Chandler’s. Thursday brought a return trip to the Whitney’s. Friday was a normal day: washing dishes, doing a fews load of laundry, taking the dog to the vet, taking her mother to the bank and to get groceries, going to the cleaners for me, and cooking an amazing, diabetic-friendly, dinner for me. Did I tell you Liz is retired? No sitting around watching movies for her. She is still sacrificing.
Choosing a Mate
When I met Liz, she was sixteen and raising two very young children, Chuckie and Dee Dee, whose mother had run off and left them. I recognized that this was a person with unselfish concern for others. Young people when you are looking for a mate, you want to a mate that demonstrates this kind of love. It is guaranteed that they will show you and your children unconditional love.
Copyright © 2020 Chuck Locklear
Also, see Royal Birth.