This is a response to hearing a friend of mine questioning his faith, but not just questioning his faith (that means your faith is alive) but rather feeling that it is all fake, because the “Christians” in his life were judgmental and hateful. I am utterly disgusted by those who show hate towards any person, who judge a person by what they do. My God is a god of love, my God is love. “For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, provided it is received with thanksgiving” 1.Timothy.4:4. To quote the apostle Saul/Paul when he was speaking to the people of Corinth, “What would you prefer? Am I to come to you with a stick, or with love in a spirit of gentleness.” What is going to be changed by hate? Commanding/forcing change, may possibly change the behavior for a bit, but the inner soul which was causing the behavior found no pleasure, so no true change occurred. But love can change all things, and not on the shallow end, maybe at first, but it seeps into the cricks and crevices and causes real change.

L - is for the way you look at me... People spend so much time looking at other people and judging. I have heard so many times from people how they define a person my their faults, the things they have done wrong in life. Even to define a person by the good things they do in life, should not be so. People are not what they do, what they do is a reflection of what they believe. Which sadly, everyone believes lies to varied extents. So by believing lies, they end up presenting themselves in ways, but that does not make them who they are. If they were to change their view and look at the truths, and start living in truths, their actions would change. For this reason one can see that what one does is not who a person is at their innermost self. Romans.10:13 “For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” One change of view and a person is a new creation. So I suppose people can take Romans.12:9-10 “Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.” And just take the “Hate what is evil” bit and use it as a rationalization of their hatred towards people. But I do not read it as “hate those who do evil” Actually quite the contrary, it seems that you are suppose to be showing honor to all. You cannot show honor through hating someone. “Let no evil talk come out of your moths, but only what is useful for the building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear.” Ephesians.4:29. If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all. If what you say is not going to build the other person up (even feedback can build a person up, if it is done in love) what you say should be words of grace, glorifying God and his love for them, and how he has so much grace which will be given to them if only they ask for it.

O - is for the only one I see… One should always look at themselves before going off and judging people. Romans.3:22-23 “For there is no distinction since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;” Jesus did not come and die for the ‘perfect people’ Luke.5:32 “I have come to call not the righteous but the sinners to repentance.” 1.John.4:7-8 “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.” Now wait, does this say that if you are not showing love you do not truly know God? So, people who are off doing things “in the name of God” which are not showing love, actually are only causing people to hate God, which they to not actually serve. Hebrews.4:13 “And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account” Guess what. God knows everything people do; God knows their hearts, if they are going to hell God gets to decide that, not you. You have no say; you do not know their deepest parts. So stop trying to judge people, you are not the Judge. So go all out and love people.

V- is very, very extraordinary… Love is so very, very important. It is an amazing thing which causes this broken world to still exist. It is what makes the world go round. Love is what heals, love is what brings hope. God is love. 1.Corinthians.13:13 “And now faith, hope and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” Now love is amazing because in Romans.13:20 it says, “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.” If one is doing everything in love, they cannot sin, therefore they cannot go against the law. I know it is very cliché but “Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It beats all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” 1.Corinthians.13:4-8. But it is so true. When you are acting out of love, there are no problems

E - is even more than anyone that you adore can... 1.Peter.4:8 “Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins.” Love is what covers sins, love is what has gotten us to be able to be forgiven. 1.Corinthians.16:14 “Let all that you do be done in love” [period] Everything you do should be in love, EVERYTHING. No excuses. Shame and guilt are not from God, and a lack of love leads to such emotions. Christians are supposed to be the body of Christ, we are representing God to the world, so when people do not love they cause people to see God in a negative light. 1.John.4:12 “No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.” Now when we love people, truly love people, they are able to see God shining through us. I would suggest, I would challenge you to living a life of more love, loving more, and shining God onto those around you.

Ending this with 1.Thessalonians.3:12 “And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as [I] abound in love for you.” I want people to understand the importance of love, I want people to change and go about life loving others.