How Will They Know Us?

           This morning I finally did it. After more than a full year, I was able to get back on my treadmill without falling off. (That old vertigo had me down for a long, long time, but praise God I’m up again!!) And, boy did I need it even more than I thought I did! Not only have I put on a few inches, but what I didn’t realize is just how much, to my great surprise, that I love that time on my old treadmill. You see, it’s not the exercise that excites me, but that the whole time I walk, I listen to my favorite worship playlists. I pray, I sing and I lift my hands to Him freely, (well, one hand at a time now cause I have to hold on with the other!) I just love that time with Him. It’s private, quiet, and such an incredible time of worship and praise. I’ve had some of my most meaningful times of worship on that treadmill. I’m so grateful this morning to be able to physically spend that time not only exercising my body, but exercising my faith too.

            As I listened and worshiped, one of my favorite songs came on (and boy do I have a lot of favorites…I eat, breathe and live worship music!) It is a song by Christy Nockels, called, “By Our Love”. Oh it is so beautiful and it really makes me think about how I live and about how others will KNOW that I belong to Jesus. Will they see me and all of my human ugliness, or will they see Jesus? I hope that more and more, they will see Jesus. Oh how I long to be His hands and feet to this hungry world.

            Also this morning, I read that familiar passage about love in 1 Corinthians 13. After reading, I asked myself again what my love towards others looks like. I’d like to think that I’m a pretty loving person, but truthfully, in my humanness, I love conditionally, and on my own terms. If I’m hurt by someone, I tend to pull away and try to protect my heart from further hurt. It’s really easy to withdraw and try to hide in a “safe place”. But that’s not how Jesus loves. He loved us so much that He died for us. A pastor friend once told me that loving others is often going to lead to hurt, but that if I close up my heart and stop loving others, it will turn to cold stone. What a horrible thought. I do not want a cold stone heart. I desire a tender, gentle, loving heart that is full of Jesus’ light, even if it means getting hurt at times. When others look at me, I really want them to see the kind of love that God extends to me every day. He is so merciful, kind, loving, gracious and just. I so desire for my loved ones and every person I meet to see this kind of love. Like the song says, “The time is now, come church arise, love with His hands, see with His eyes. Bind it around you, let it never leave you, and they will know us by our love.”

            It blow it a million times a day when it comes to loving others, especially with those who are closest to me. It is my deep desire that as I spend more time in God’s Word, as I seek Him first, as I surrender to His will, that I will look more like a loving child of God than a stinky sheep. So, the answer to my question, “How will they know us?” is that they will only see Jesus if we start loving others the way He has loved us. I absolutely cannot do this on my own because I really am just a stinky sheep. But, by His grace, may all who encounter me today know that I’m His child and may they know me by His love, and I pray that they too will be drawn to His incredible love. It is so deep, long, wide and high! God bless and thanks for reading!

By Our Love, 2009 worshiptogether.com Songs (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) sixsteps Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)