"Love Shows"

Sometimes when God is far away,

You’ll hear believers smugly say,

That you’re the one who didn’t stay,

They say it all the time.

But they forget the sadness here,

That makes God’s nearness quite unclear,

Don’t understand the things we fear,

It’s really quite unkind.

 

Could we just mediate our stance,

And give the doubters half a chance,

They might just one day join the dance,

Why make them feel so bad?

A friendly smile and healing touch,

Could welcome them and mean so much,

Stop all that preaching, shame and such,

Lift the burden of the sad.

 

Jesus said they’d know us by,

Not religious things we try,

But measured by the tears we dry,

The love always will show.

We shine His light for all to see,

And seek His face on bended knee,

And let the Spirit flow so we,

Can always let love show.

 

That’s how, just let love show,

That’s how, right now, love shows.

“By this men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another…” (John 13:35, NIV)

All my life as a Christian I have had times when I did not feel very close to God, or that God was very close to me. Some of these times were some of my saddest, and I didn’t always get the encouragement I expected. Sometimes my fellow Christians were quite insensitive, and their advice actually made me feel worse about an already challenging situation. I say all this to point out that Jesus said the best way we can ever show anybody that we belong to Him is by giving love. That’s really all I needed my brothers and sisters to do: just love me. And that’s what I have tried to do when people who were struggling turned to me. I didn’t always get it right, mind you. But that has been my goal for a very long time. How can I love them, and speak truth to them in such a way that they will want to regain the closeness they once felt with God? Love really is the best way.

Lord, help us to love people who doubt You and wonder if You are still there for them, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Steve Boaldin, artofacowboy.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Steve, and God bless you.

Brad McClain