This week Jet and I will finish our Wednesday night class series. I have mentioned to several people how much I have enjoyed teaching this class. Obviously some of the credit for that belongs to Jet, but I think there’s another piece. I love good questions. There have been a lot of good and difficult questions throughout our study.I am currently reading John Mark Comer’s book, Practicing the Way: Be With Jesus. Become Like Him. Do As He Did. As someone who loves a good question, the author got my attention when I read the words, “The single most important question is…” Usually we reserve that description for the question asked during someone’s confession of Christ before baptism. Comer writes to people who have already answered the question of who Jesus is, and they desire to be more like Him. It is in that context he asks this question:
“Are we becoming more loving?”
He has a point. It’s a great question. He continues:
“Are we becoming more loving? Not, Are we becoming more biblically educated? Or practicing more spiritual disciplines? Or more involved in church? Those are all good things, but not the most important thing. If you want to chart your progress on the spirituality journey, test the quality of your closest relationships—namely, by love and the fruit of the Spirit. Would the people who know you best say you are becoming more loving, joyful, and at peace? More patient and less frustrated? Kinder, gentler, softening with time, and pervaded by goodness? Faithful, especially in hard times, and self-controlled? Are you growing in love not just for your friends and family but for your enemies? When you are hurt, wounded, and treated unjustly (as we all are), are you finding yourself increasingly able to emotionally release the bitterness, to absorb the pain and not give it back in kind? To pray for and even ‘bless those who curse you’? [Luke 6:28] And is all this feeling more and more natural and less forced? More and more like this is just who you are? If not, then no matter how well you know the Bible, how many books you read, how many insights you amass, or how many practices you build into your Rule of Life, you’re not on track.”
Love is where the Bible we know, the disciplines we practice and the church involvement we value turn into action toward others. Let’s all become more loving.
Brian