Continuing our study on the passages from Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis.
We're discussing CHRISTIAN LOVE. How amazing it is to have CHRISTIAN LOVE. It sounds strange even as I write it because I'm used to just saying love in the generic sense that included love being a Christian. I've found as I've studied this a bit that IT IS relevant, truly it is. At least in my estimation it's relevant because otherwise it is soooo incredibly easy to get caught up in the idea that we are supposed to equate love with feelings, with emotions.
We are very emotional people, even those who are cold hearted are emotional in their cold heartedness. Men are equated with be less emotionally charged as women, but the truth is, men are using more somber emotions- it's not being emotionless very few people are truly emotionless and usually those who are emotionless end up as pyschopaths because we are not meant to be emotionless beings. People also confuse burying emotions with being emotionless, or controlling their emotions makes them emotionless, both are lies. The fact they have to control or bury any emotion means they have those emotions to control and bury.
Love has been called an emotion for so incredibly long that we scarcely imagine it to be anything else. If we don't FEEL a certain way that tells us something, that's what we've been taught. If we don't feel an emotional sensation of love for someone or something then it is so easy to believe we aren't loving that someone or something.
WHY would God tell us, command us, to LOVE ANOTHER if He meant feel that loving feeling towards everyone? He wouldn't! He doesn't mean LIKE everyone, He doesn't mean FEEL happy about everyone. God is talking about an ACTION we are to portray towards others and that action is for us treat others- ALL OTHERS- in a fair way, the way YOU WANT to be treated- NOT the way you necessarily are treated.
Let's read more of the excerpt…
Mere Christianity C.S. Lewis (EXCERPT)
'On the other hand, it is also necessary to keep a very sharp lookout for fear our liking for some one person makes us uncharitable, or even unfair, to someone else.'
When we LIKE someone we truly do have to be very careful we do NOT love that person we LIKE or even love emotionally- more than any others!
Crazy, you say? You have to LOVE those you like or love emotionally more than others it's only natural, and that's true it's of our flesh nature natural. God would have us love ALL others and HE means with a CHRISTIAN love.
Continuing...
'There are even cases where our liking conflicts with our charity towards the person we like. For example, a doting mother may -be tempted by natural affection to 'spoil' her child; that is, to gratify her own affectionate impulses at the expense of the child's real happiness later on. But though natural likings should normally be encouraged, it would be quite wrong to think that the way to become charitable is to sit trying to manufacture affectionate feelings.'
How true is this! In treating our own children with a SPECIAL love we are perpetuating the belief that they are MORE worthy of love than others. We are not only spoiling our children we are passing on the misconception of LOVE.
This part-- '… it would be quite wrong to think that the way to become charitable IS TO SIT TRYING to MANUFACTURE AFFECTIONATE FEELINGS.'
We really have to STOP equating love dare I say, especially CHRISTIAN love with feelings!
Continuing…
'Some people are 'cold' by temperament; that may be a misfortune for them, but it is no more a sin than having a bad digestion is a sin; and it does not cut them out from the chance, or excuse them from the duty, of learning charity.'
'Cold by temperament' Do you know anyone you'd consider cold by temperament? Perhaps you are cold by temperament. This is a reality and I love how C.S. Lewis says, ' IT IS NO MORE A SIN THAN HAVING A BAD DIGESTION IS A SIN.'
No one would ever say it's a sin to have heart problems, a sin to have bad sugar, a sin to be born with a weak bladder, a sin to be unhealthy beyond your control in any way. It's only a sin if you are purposely causing yourself to be unhealthy. Being cold by temperament is no more sin than being born with a seasicky stomach, and NO ONE whether with or without a cold temperament is exempt from LOVING OTHERS with CHRISTIAN LOVE.
Continuing...
'The rule for all of us is perfectly simple. Do not waste time bothering whether you 'love' your neighbour; act as if you did.'
We cannot, and truly should not waste any of our time trying to FEEL an emotional sensation towards anyone! Our LIKING DOES NOT MATTER! We MUST LOVE THEM. And if we are going to wait to feel something emotional before we allow ourselves to show CHRISTIAN LOVE, then we are NOT obeying God's Command!
We really do need to ACT as if we love that person if that means truly showing Christian love to them. We need to treat even our enemies, and maybe especially our enemies, as if we love them very, very much.
THIS IS CHRISTIAN LOVE.
This is how we are LOVED.
We do not deserve any LOVE from God, not a bit of it. Yet HE LOVES us and it's not because He has this overwhelming emotion for certain people and not others.
Jesus died to offer ALL people a chance for salvation, not just a select few.
A few will accept that salvation, but it won't be because all were not offered it.
Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
LOVE - CHRISTIAN LOVE!
More tomorrow by the GRACE of GOD!
All in HIS LOVE ALWAYS!
Praise, glory, honor and thanksgiving to our KING Jesus CHRIST!
We're discussing CHRISTIAN LOVE. How amazing it is to have CHRISTIAN LOVE. It sounds strange even as I write it because I'm used to just saying love in the generic sense that included love being a Christian. I've found as I've studied this a bit that IT IS relevant, truly it is. At least in my estimation it's relevant because otherwise it is soooo incredibly easy to get caught up in the idea that we are supposed to equate love with feelings, with emotions.
We are very emotional people, even those who are cold hearted are emotional in their cold heartedness. Men are equated with be less emotionally charged as women, but the truth is, men are using more somber emotions- it's not being emotionless very few people are truly emotionless and usually those who are emotionless end up as pyschopaths because we are not meant to be emotionless beings. People also confuse burying emotions with being emotionless, or controlling their emotions makes them emotionless, both are lies. The fact they have to control or bury any emotion means they have those emotions to control and bury.
Love has been called an emotion for so incredibly long that we scarcely imagine it to be anything else. If we don't FEEL a certain way that tells us something, that's what we've been taught. If we don't feel an emotional sensation of love for someone or something then it is so easy to believe we aren't loving that someone or something.
WHY would God tell us, command us, to LOVE ANOTHER if He meant feel that loving feeling towards everyone? He wouldn't! He doesn't mean LIKE everyone, He doesn't mean FEEL happy about everyone. God is talking about an ACTION we are to portray towards others and that action is for us treat others- ALL OTHERS- in a fair way, the way YOU WANT to be treated- NOT the way you necessarily are treated.
Let's read more of the excerpt…
Mere Christianity C.S. Lewis (EXCERPT)
'On the other hand, it is also necessary to keep a very sharp lookout for fear our liking for some one person makes us uncharitable, or even unfair, to someone else.'
When we LIKE someone we truly do have to be very careful we do NOT love that person we LIKE or even love emotionally- more than any others!
Crazy, you say? You have to LOVE those you like or love emotionally more than others it's only natural, and that's true it's of our flesh nature natural. God would have us love ALL others and HE means with a CHRISTIAN love.
Continuing...
'There are even cases where our liking conflicts with our charity towards the person we like. For example, a doting mother may -be tempted by natural affection to 'spoil' her child; that is, to gratify her own affectionate impulses at the expense of the child's real happiness later on. But though natural likings should normally be encouraged, it would be quite wrong to think that the way to become charitable is to sit trying to manufacture affectionate feelings.'
How true is this! In treating our own children with a SPECIAL love we are perpetuating the belief that they are MORE worthy of love than others. We are not only spoiling our children we are passing on the misconception of LOVE.
This part-- '… it would be quite wrong to think that the way to become charitable IS TO SIT TRYING to MANUFACTURE AFFECTIONATE FEELINGS.'
We really have to STOP equating love dare I say, especially CHRISTIAN love with feelings!
Continuing…
'Some people are 'cold' by temperament; that may be a misfortune for them, but it is no more a sin than having a bad digestion is a sin; and it does not cut them out from the chance, or excuse them from the duty, of learning charity.'
'Cold by temperament' Do you know anyone you'd consider cold by temperament? Perhaps you are cold by temperament. This is a reality and I love how C.S. Lewis says, ' IT IS NO MORE A SIN THAN HAVING A BAD DIGESTION IS A SIN.'
No one would ever say it's a sin to have heart problems, a sin to have bad sugar, a sin to be born with a weak bladder, a sin to be unhealthy beyond your control in any way. It's only a sin if you are purposely causing yourself to be unhealthy. Being cold by temperament is no more sin than being born with a seasicky stomach, and NO ONE whether with or without a cold temperament is exempt from LOVING OTHERS with CHRISTIAN LOVE.
Continuing...
'The rule for all of us is perfectly simple. Do not waste time bothering whether you 'love' your neighbour; act as if you did.'
We cannot, and truly should not waste any of our time trying to FEEL an emotional sensation towards anyone! Our LIKING DOES NOT MATTER! We MUST LOVE THEM. And if we are going to wait to feel something emotional before we allow ourselves to show CHRISTIAN LOVE, then we are NOT obeying God's Command!
We really do need to ACT as if we love that person if that means truly showing Christian love to them. We need to treat even our enemies, and maybe especially our enemies, as if we love them very, very much.
THIS IS CHRISTIAN LOVE.
This is how we are LOVED.
We do not deserve any LOVE from God, not a bit of it. Yet HE LOVES us and it's not because He has this overwhelming emotion for certain people and not others.
Jesus died to offer ALL people a chance for salvation, not just a select few.
A few will accept that salvation, but it won't be because all were not offered it.
Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
LOVE - CHRISTIAN LOVE!
More tomorrow by the GRACE of GOD!
All in HIS LOVE ALWAYS!
Praise, glory, honor and thanksgiving to our KING Jesus CHRIST!
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