Yesterday, one of my best friend’s grandma passed away. She was like a mother to him. She was Christian.
She had been hospitalized for weeks now. I said to my friend a few times that I was going to visit her. I never did.
I felt guilty.
How can we love someone only by the words coming out from our mouth (and by text messaging) ?
How children love
I’m a passionate guy. One way to define it is to be 100% absorbed in doing what you like to do.
I didnt’t play volley ball the way my high-school classmates did. I don’t watch soccer games the way girls do.
Children are the same. They’re passionate in what they love to do.
They also show love when it is comfortable.
A daughter shows love to her mum by hugging her because she loves the tenderness and the protection her mother brings.
A kid won’t give you his favorite cookie if you don’t ask him to.
He won’t leave his favorite TV show to spend quality time with you if he sees you feeling sad.
Children, how cute and clever they are, are just selfish by nature.
Love, not accompanied by sacrifice, is dead
Don't worry, not all of them are from actual people
I love people like my 5-year-old nephew does.
If you write me an email and I don’t feel like answering now, I won’t.
When my father obviously enjoys sharing stories with me and I don’t understand what he’s saying (he speaks a mixture of many Chinese dialects), I’d rather sneak out (physically or mentally).
Then, when my nephew wants to play with the iPad, one of my hobby, I enjoy spending “quality time” with him. When my dad wants to go to eat a kebab (I’m not even ashamed to say that it is one of my favourite food), I’m much more willing to go out with him.
There is absolutely no sense of sacrifice in the way I love.
“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 2:17)
In the same way, love by itself, if it not accompanied by sacrifice, is dead.
Loving (Jesus) vs. consuming love (me)
God the Father sent his only Son to earth because he loved us. Jesus, Son of God, decided to live a life of sufferings because he loved us so much.
People criticized him, hated him, betrayed him, insulted him, spit on him… and eventually crucified him. He knew all that in advance and still decided to come.
This is pure love. Sacrificial love. An expression of caring with the only purpose to make other people’s life better. Not his.
Then you have people like me.
I love when it makes me feel good, happier, proud…
Holding your girlfriend’s hand during a romantic walk is enjoyable. It’s easy.
Watching a great movie with your friends is fun… And easy.
Serving in a church where people are nice, compliment you and make you feel useful is easy…
Now what?
So what if I wrote this post just to make me feel better? Is it a way to stop feeling guilty about my friend ? Or even a way to show my wisdom?
I’m telling you now. If you are a friend of mine and you don’t see me making any sacrifice from now on, don’t suppose I love you. I might like you a lot.
God is giving me plenty of opportunities to make it up.
I have an old father, a single-mom step-sister and a nephew at home. I attend a church where I am a volunteer at the youth group. I have friends with (spiritual) needs. I even have people with suicidal thoughts reading my blogs.
I have my whole life to make it up. Will I ?
