called to love

you think when you go to college, the bullying will end. the hurtful words and rumors and jabs will stop and everyone will be mature about things. right??

friends, this doesn't happen. 

girls are still catty, they still say and do hurtful things, they still start rumors and talk behind your back, and they still make intentional jabs at you to hurt your feelings. and I know that this isn't going to change. there's a quote that I like - "you could be the ripest, juiciest peach in the world, and there's still going to be somebody who hates peaches." we live in a fallen world. with hurtful words and anger in our hearts. how are we to treat these people in our lives? the ones who call us names, who talk about us behind our backs, or those who blame you for everything. it'd be easy to write them off as mean and throw them to the curb. like in Taylor Swift's song Mean:

"You, with your words like knives

And swords and weapons that you use against me

You have knocked me off my feet again

Got me feeling like I'm nothing

All you are is mean

And a liar, and pathetic, and alone in life

And mean, and mean, and mean, and mean"

Okay, so maybe all those things are true and you want to scream them at their face until they feel the burn.

but didn't The Lord call us to love? 

"If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care — then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand."  

-- Philippians 2:1-4 MSG

"So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other."

-- John 13:34 NLT

"My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love!"

--1 John 4:11-12 MSG

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."

- Luke 6:27-28 NIV 

“I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return. You’ll never—I promise—regret it. Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we’re at our worst. Our Father is kind; you be kind. 

-- Luke 6:35-36 MSG 

so, there it is friends. we're called to love. we're called to pray. we're called to do good. when I think of all the ways I've treated God. how many times I've blatently ignored Him, turned my back to Him, and essentially said "I don't need you." my heart hurts. I've yelled at God. I've doubted. I've sinned (against Him) more times than I can count. yet He still loves me. He still generously pours out grace unto me. and I am so thankful. He could have easily said what those Taylor Swift lyrics say. He could have said, Shelby you are a liar. You're pathetic. And I'm going to leave you alone in life. 

but He didn't.

He called me daughter. He called me redeemed. He called me worthy and loved. He showed me grace. And He promised to never leave me. 

wow. 

don't you want to be like that? don't you want to imitate Christ? I know I do. I want to shine His light and treat others like He did. but oh how it can be hard. many times I've blasted that Taylor Swift song and meant every. single. word. but friends, if I am going to truly love Christ and to truly live my life for Him, I need to rewrite the lyrics. I need to accept each blow I receive and take it to Christ to see how He would respond. because He is greater than those who hurt me. He is greater than the rude words said. He is the one who can change our hearts. He is redeemer of this fallen world and the One who will always, always, always be there for us. and for that I am so incredibly thankful. 

resolution #1) love like Christ