A Call To Love

As I look at the news and read the news websites, my heart often weeps for our world. You hear so much about the hate and violence that has claimed so many lives across the world that it makes you sick to your stomach. I find myself sometimes asking God, why is this happening. How could someone hurt a sweet innocent baby? How could you hate a whole race or culture you do not know? Is it really that easy to step on a plane, train or shopping center and blow up innocent people? Is it that easy to take a gun and gunned down innocent people because you feel like life has hand you a bad deal?

These are some of the questions I present to God when I hear about things like the mass shooting here in Washington, DC that took the lives of five young people or the death and rape of another child at the hands of a child molester. I sit back and think, “Where are we as a group of people that we do not love and respect each other?” Did we loss our humanity or did we never fully have it to begin with?

I know many Christians say, we are not supposed to question God that is a huge no no. My question to them is how do I get answers from God if I did not present my questions to Him. I look at many of the prophets in Bible times who asked God questions about specific things. The prophet Habakkuk had questions He presented to God and they were answered. So, I believe I can present my question before an All-Knowing God and get answers also.

When go before the LORD with these questions, two words are brought to my mind and spirit forgiveness and love. I was talking to my sister a couple of weeks ago about forgiveness, she told me when you have been hurt to the degree she has, forgiving is a very hard thing to do. I shared with her how freeing it can be to forgive those who have hurt you because the forgiveness is not truly for them but for you. I tried to explain to her when un-forgiveness is left uncheck it holds you in bondage to your emotional and to people. God does not want us in bondage. In His Word it says, who the Son sets free is free indeed. (John 8:36) She continued to talk about all the reason she could not forgive the people who had hurt her. I told her you have to deal with the problems head on and talk to God about them and the people who have wronged you, you have to make peace with these situations or they will kill you emotionally and physically, our conversation end with her hanging up on me then not picking up her telephone when I called her back.

I share this conversation I had with my sister because we have to get to a place of forgiveness. I know it is hard, it was hard for me to forgive the man who molested me, it was heard to forgive the people who take the lives of my love ones, and it was hard for me to forgive myself for having an abortion but I had too. I had to forgive because it was the only I could truly love. The only way I could truly love myself, my family, my friends and my neighbor.

Take all your pain, anger, frustration and hurt to God. Tell Him all about it, then when God opens an opportunity talk with the person who hurt you about the situation that caused the pain. When you deal with the situation you will find yourself at that place of forgiveness and letting go.

Forgiveness opens you up to love and “love covers over a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8)

I believe God is calling us into prayer for our family, friends, neighbors, elected officials and this world. It is a call to the body of Christ to pray and go out and tell a dying world about a Savior who looks beyond our faults to our needs. I know there are some pure evil people out here but I also believe some people have let life experiences turn their hearts cold. There is a saying, “hurt people, hurt people.”

I love the fact God sent me to a Bible teaching and believing church. My Pastor in his sermon this pass Sunday encouraged us to continue the work of Jesus Christ and go out evangelize and disciple folks. This is what Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry was about bringing people to the Father, healing them from the hurt, suffering and pain.

So, when I present my questions before God about the ills of this world. His answer to me is pray, show my love, and telling the people about a God who is able to heal their brokenness.

For the greatest commandment is to 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' (Matthew 22:36-39)