Drawn to the Gospel

Is there someone or a type of people in your life that you find hardest to love?

I love Aussies and their love for shortening long words. After all, why say it in three syllables when you can say it in two? Within my first year of arrival, I learned of ABC (Australian Born Chinese). Then, years later, I learned another variant: Anyone But Collingwood. A more senior pastor and a big Collingwood fan had to take me on a decidedly one-sided history and cultural lesson that explained the background of the acronym!

I have often wondered who would I put into my ‘Anyone But … ‘ list. Who would I simply tolerate just to be neighbour with? Who would I try to avoid, or if it were within my power, try to expel?  Human love is so frail and calculating that instinctively it always asks, “What’s in it for me? What do I get by loving this person?”

Thankfully, that is not the case with divine love. When John writes, “God is love” (1 Jn 4:8), he unearths a simple yet profound truth about who God is and how He acts towards us. God loves us in spite of ourselves, because it is in His nature to love the unlovable. This is ultimately embodied through the person and work of Jesus. He is God’s love in the flesh.

It is no surprise then, that when His Spirit dwells in us, the primary character trait that He produces in us is the same love we see in Christ. “The fruit of the Spirit is love” (Gal 5:22). Isn’t it wondrous to think that this trait transcends all culture, ethnic group, and yes—even footy team scarves? Love is that one trait that Jesus says marks us off as one of His. “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples” (Jn 13:35, NLT).

So where is Jesus inviting you to love others sacrificially, not selectively?

This devotion is sent weekly to staff during school terms. It has been lightly edited for a general audience.