Be Responsible with Love.

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Everyday people entrust their hearts and souls to us… as friends, as family members, as the person who wants to spend the rest of their life with you. If you intend to stay, then place God at the center of your actions. The best type of growth happens in a place of spiritual peace where a strong foundation is built through selfless acts of love. If you intend to leave, still, place God at the center of your actions. Leaving starts the process of healing and where confusions exists, closure cannot. Be responsible with your love.

God expects our best. The way we treat each other is no exception to this mandate. Our actions are the true manifestation of who we worship. To love one another, without complaining and self-seeking behavior signifies our commitment to submit our hearts to Christ. That isn’t to say we aren’t going to make mistakes, but we acknowledge where the source of our wisdom and decision-making should rest.

Without Him, we will never be able to truly experience touching others through Christ’s love, and opening up ourselves to experience it in return. Instead, we will constantly search for new sources of happiness that are fleeting and in the long run, unfulfilling. By searching for a high we can never reach, we are willing to go to the lows of which we never thought ourselves capable. Such outcomes are part of the reason it is imperative we are responsible with each other’s hearts and souls. Too often, we’re a part of the chase to the bottom because we thought that was better than the option of facing our problems at the top.

We are each other’s stewards

In our spiritual lives, God does not remove accountability from us, but He exercises mercy in our weaknesses. The same principle applies to our neighbors, friends, loved ones, and strangers. Christ tells us in 1 Corinthians 12:9-10, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” God loves us in our spite of our shortcomings and tries to steer us in the best direction possible.

Too often, self-serving perceptions impact the interpretation of carrying this principle. We want to control the situation, and/or the person instead of respecting their ability to also have an opinion. We force our thoughts onto others because we refuse to accept we can be wrong. Our weaknesses serve as grounds for dismissal. Our fear of loneliness feeds avoidance. We lie when we should be honest. We’re harsh when we should be merciful. We hide under the mantra of we’re doing what’s best for you or us, when really it’s for ourselves.

We do this because we believe we are only accountable for self, but God sees it differently. In John 13:34, Jesus said “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” Notice Christ gives His mandate twice, to love one another.  We are accountable for each other by how we treat each other, and that is God’s mandate.

We all know pain.

We know what it feels like to be hurt by someone. We are all aware of how we feel when we are disappointed… when we give our hearts to only be mistreated… when we are wronged by those we deeply care about. Hurt is not something that can turn on and off at will. It manifests within our souls, growing in intensity, as it searches for an exit. How we manage hurt is different, but we can all agree it is not an emotion we are eager to feel.

In knowing this, we have to make sure we are not unnecessarily adding pain to someone else’s heart. Sometimes the most selfless act of love is to leave. If that is the best choice, do so with grace. If you want to grow together, do so with mercy. However, no matter what you choose, be responsible with love.

#GodBless from #LovesAnAction