A heart motivated by love is a strong heart that will look at things and situations from a perspective that is higher than human intellect and reasoning. When we follow the way the Lord Jesus Christ lived, we see that He operated on divine principles rather than earthly principles. He came to do the will of the Father (John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38). These principles are solid and does not change as the situations change in life. They are based on absolute truths that have stood the test of time. They can be relied on and are not tainted by human interference or whims of passion.
We are shown in scripture that love conquers all (Romans 8:37, 1 Corinthians 13, 1 Peter 4:8 and Matthew 22:36-40). Even though we feel that we deserve to mete out harsh treatment to people who offend us, we are not the judge of people. Instead, we need to take it to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to deal with these irksome situations. What we are actually doing is relieving ourselves of the burden of those negative influences in our lives and passing it onto the capable hands of our Heavenly Father. He is a God of love but He is also a God of justice.
When we obey the word of the Lord and show love to our enemies, we are heaping coals upon their head (Romans 12:20). It is not us but them who will self-destruct. Hebrews 10:30 (ESV) tells us “For we know him who said, ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay.’ And again, ‘The Lord will judge his people’”. This action liberates us and frees our spirit to look at things that are productive in our lives rather than counter-productive.
I am reminded of the Australian Missionary Irene Gleeson, who went to Uganda to assist the war-torn orphans and bring light to the child soldiers. One day she was surrounded by ‘tsotsis’ as she slept in her caravan in the middle of nowhere. They wanted to do grievous bodily harm to her and instead of the temptation to open fire on them, she prayed to God to deal with them. He intervened in a miraculous way and she was saved PLUS God enabled her to convert those troubled children into children who now walk in His Light. Praise God! I was privileged to do some voluntary work for her organisation and I know first-hand how the obedience of one servant of God can impart the nations.
God is in the business of reconciliation. We know from scripture that He sent His Son Jesus for that sole purpose (Colossians 1:20-22). As His children, let us be motivated by a heart of love. Jesus came to redeem the world, not to condemn the world. As His followers, let us live exemplary lives where we can be magnets who will draw the lost souls to His kingdom. ◊
Linda Pearl
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