Loving at Arms Length?

Lately I've really been examining in my own personal walk the idea of wholeness in Christ - the idea of really being truly, fully satisfied by and defined by Jesus. It's been an eye-opening and exciting journey, really. One thing that I've learned that has really struck a chord with me is the importance of friendship and community. My first impression of wholeness in Christ was being completely self-sufficient. While I do believe wholeness in Christ involves complete reliance on Him, we do know that it is not good for man to be alone. My good friend Kayla Beth and I were discussing this, and I came to this realization that we really do need other people. No, we don't need people the same way that we need God, but we do need people nonetheless.

So this got me thinking about the friends that I have been blessed with. I wonder - what would it look like to really love self-sacrificially? By that I mean, what is it like to love outside of my comfort zone? Sometimes I think we tend to love at arms length rather than face the awkwardness, unfamiliarity, and discomfort of loving sacrificially. The main thing I'm learning about love is, "It's not about me." So what if I don't have the right words to say ... so what if I don't know how to offer comfort: these things don't lessen the need of comfort and friendship, they merely slow down God's working in and through us. God never said to offer comfort and friendship when we felt like it ... Jesus simply impressed upon us in the Word the importance of community and friendship.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

- John 13:34-35

Loving like God? That's a tough command; that means loving beyond what we think we can love, and pushing our limits of comfort beyond what we're used to. While I know I'll never truly love like Jesus, there's no harm in working my butt off trying. It may hurt, and it may even get a little awkward ... but I don't think Jesus was ever one for staying in security bubbles.

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

- 1 Peter 4:8