What does it mean to love sinners? What does it mean to love the lost? What does it mean to love our enemy? What does it mean to love our neighbors? What does it mean to love?
I've realized my love (in practice, not in understanding) is so narrow and so selective. My heart has broken occasionally for the church or for people I know personally and enjoy their company, but it has never been broken for the lost people I do not know, or are not close. I can intellectualize about it and come up with a mental ascent for how important they are, but it's never sunk into my heart. I pass people on the street and in stores day after day, and I just walk by them. I may give a half smile, and possibly a nod, but I could also very probably look stern and deep in thought, careless and carefree to their presence. Then there's a lot of people I know. "Friends" that by a realistic standard are mere acquaintances, and I know they're on a path to hell, but do I care? If I did wouldn't I be running alongside them screaming and begging and pleading for them to head my warnings and turn to Christ, the one person that can save them? I know evangelizing to every stranger you see is a bit much, but people I have a relationship with, I don't believe I care about them. This realization hurts me, because this love isn't something I can muster of my own power, this love is supremely...divinely greater than any pathetic love we can attain on our own. I do love people who are close to me, and I'm beginning to love those who are opposed to me, but how much do I love those who are at a distance but still connected to me? God, break apart this death inside of me. Give me your heart, a heart that was broken over Jerusalem, a heart that loved people he had barely met, a heart that would lay down it's life for strangers and people who betrayed him. Oh God, transform me. This need I confess, this need I know you will meet. Please send help soon.
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