Embracing the Awkwardness

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. - Romans 12:9-10

I grew up in a home where the words “I love you” were spoken daily. To this day my dad and I end every phone call with these words. It was something that he instilled in me and I have carried that over to not only my family but also to my church family. I remember when our daughter Natalie was four years old and walking through the living room. I stopped her and told her that I loved her. She looked at me with a sweet smile and big blue eyes and said “I know Daddy”. I told her that I just wanted to make sure she knew and I scooped her up with a big hug.

What my dad taught me was that love that is expressed is what true love is. It is one thing to have this idea of caring for others but if it is not expressed it is meaningless. Webster defines love as a noun, a person, place, or thing. I disagree. I would define love as a verb, meaning it is an action that is carried out. I love my wife, Amy, however, if I just had this thought of caring for her and never showed her she would never experience it.
 
What my dad taught me was just what we have experienced perfectly from our Heavenly Father. 1 John says that God is love and God perfectly expresses that love in the Gospel. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 We have been redeemed by God’s expressed deep love for us. His love is one of action and expression and He holds nothing back from expressing it, not even the Son.

I know that in this day and age it seems a bit awkward to express love, or brotherly affection to one another but why is that? If Jesus has done that for us, and we are to be followers of Jesus, what is the big deal? The Apostle Paul in Romans 12 gives some great instructions on what this should look like. He says love genuinely by holding fast to what is good. What is good? Encouraging one another and looking to Jesus. He also says that we have this brotherly affection that is expressed in outdoing one another is showing honor. This Greek word honor means to value, have deep consideration for others, and a thing of great worth.
 
Jesus sees us as value and He loves us (see Isaiah 43:4) and has paid a great price for us. Good thing He didn’t consider it awkward and allow that to keep Him from expressing His love for us. On Sunday Jesson gave us a great challenge as a church. May we be a church that has a default of encouragement and love. Let's be like Jesus.