Update, 2016: This post goes crazy about halfway through and I cannot fix it. It's one of those things that I can't control and therefore drive me crazy. If you are like that as well, I apologize. I have tried everything, including rewriting, to fix it. It's just going to drive us crazy. Those of you who can ignore it, bravo! It's a great message still, I believe. Especially given the changes in our world since then. Bless this world. Pray for your fellow man. We really need each other!
The other day, I had the best conversation I think I have ever had, with perfect strangers, in a tire shop of all places. We talked about things people don't typically talk about without going into knock-down, drag-out, kick 'em in the knee fights: Christianity, politics, parenting, and race. There were six of us. One man, two older white women, two older black women, and myself. It was awesome! No one got offended, no one got out of line. It was genuine conversation between strangers, bonding over the terrible things we were seeing on the news.
One thing has really stuck with me. We were watching a man lead a panel on race and all the problems that are going on in today's world. They pretty much all agreed that racial tension is worse today than it has been in the last several years. They all agreed that something should be done. Their solution?
We should be more tolerant.
Wait...... We should be more tolerant? That doesn't sound good. I looked it up. Tolerance is "the ability or willingness to accept something with forbearance, in particular the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with." So, to me, tolerance is judging someone, finding them lacking, and saying: "There's something wrong with you, but I'm not going to say anything about it, at least not out loud. To you." Y'all... tolerance is judgment.
That's not love.
We are not called to tolerate one another. We are called to love each other.
John 13:34-35 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
That doesn't say, "TOLERATE one another. As I have TOLERATED you, so you must TOLERATE one another." It says LOVE. Love is what Jesus did. He showed us a very good example. Even in the midst of brutality and hatred, He LOVED. Even when one of those closest to Him betrayed Him, He LOVED. Even as that one kissed him on the cheek, He LOVED.
Even on the cross, He LOVED.
He loved, y'all. He didn't tolerate. The story would have been crazy different if He tolerated us instead of loved us. We know the story. We know He loves us. However, there is one who doesn't want us to know that. One who would love to deflect the truth and twist it into a lie of tolerance. So far, he's been very successful. We are actually telling people we need to tolerate instead of love.
Can you imagine a world filled with Truth and Love versus the world we have now, filled with Lies and Tolerance? Stop for a minute and think about that...
Your neighbor, who believes a certain something that you tolerate, but you really don't like it, or him? What would it look like if you loved him instead?
Your boss, who does this and that and it really bugs you... What would it look like if you loved her instead?
Your spouse, who repeatedly does that one thing you can't stand and irritates the heck out of you.... what if you loved him instead?
That family member, who says and does things you totally disagree with... what if you loved her instead?
The list can go on and on. I know you've thought of people you only tolerate as you've read this. We ALL do it. We all do it, and yet we say we don't. The enemy already uses every single thing he can to get to us and distract us from God. Do you really want to give him anymore ammunition?
If you have these relationships, pray about them. Ask God to show you how to truly LOVE. If you don't think you have these relationships, pray about that too. Ask Him to show you in which relationships you need to show love instead of tolerance.
He will help you. Know why? Because He loves you and everyone you know, too!!
Love each other. Love Him. Change the world, one relationship at a time.
