“Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.” John 13:35
New English Translation
Remember that song that goes “they will know we are Christians by our love, by our love”? I mean, how could a person forget it after the first time they hear it… after all, it does have a habit of getting stuck in people’s heads. You’re welcome for the earworm.
That song easily gets stuck in our head, yet the church community often doesn’t have a reputation of being loving people. I can’t tell you how many times someone has mentioned church hurt as part of why they don’t like the idea of Christianity. I can’t tell you how many times nasty men and women in the church have hurt me. What’s wrong here?
Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been fathered by God and knows God. The person who does not love does not know God, because God is love. By this the love of God is revealed in us: that God has sent his one and only Son into the world so that we may live through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1 John 4:7-10
New English Translation
By the way that we act, we reveal whether we are a child of God, or an impostor. Within the church, there are many impostors, and too few people who are good at identifying those impostors. As a people of God, we should be helping to protect each other from wolves in sheep’s clothing. Yet, time and again we allow these impostors to intimidate us and rise in power rather than trying to help them move from impostor to authentic children of God.
Why is there so much hurt? Because we allow unloving people to be in charge, which, based on the passage from 1 John, means we are allowing people who don’t even know God to be in power. Yes, these people can likely quote a verse and say the “theologically right” things, but there is a difference between knowing about God and knowing God. That’s the difference between a loving child of God and an imposter.
Think of it this way: I have a birthmark. This birthmark is much like the birthmarks that both my parents have. It isn’t identical, but it does reflect who my parents are. When I am angry or frustrated, that birthmark becomes very noticeable. This mark that links me to my parents becomes more noticeable the more angry or frustrated I become.
Christians also have a birthmark. That birthmark isn’t identical to our Father God’s; however, it does reflect His. This birthmark, rather than becoming more noticeable by anger, becomes brighter and brighter when we love. Love is what makes our connection with our Father clearer.
What about those who aren’t God’s children, who don’t love as He loves? Well, they have their own birthmarks, these birthmarks are sin, made more noticeable by their behavior. Sometimes their birthmark is brought out by controlling or abusive behavior, addictive habits, lying, and so much more. Whatever birthmark you have reveals who your father really is: God or the devil. Thankfully, the devil’s birthmark can simply be washed away by the blood of Christ. However, we can choose to live believing that the devil’s birthmark is our true identity. Only we can choose which birthmark to live like, no one can make that decision for you.
Now, are children of God holier than thou, above all temptation and hardship? HA! No. We’re still tempted. We still mess up. The difference is we’re not trying to pretend that those sins are our identity, meaning we tend to be more quick in recognizing the ugly birthmark showing back up. See, Satan tries to make a mark and take over what is truly God’s, but he can’t even do that well. Why? Because he doesn’t have the same power as God. That’s the beauty of it. He never truly can win; however, in our freewill, we can decide who we let be the father of our lives.
See, God is your true Father. Yet, the devil tried to steal you at birth and convince you that he was really your father. Some of us choose to buy into the lie despite the lack of family resemblance while others call his bluff and return to their Father in Heaven. It’s always a choice. And, in that choice, we get to decide whether we will follow in our Father’s footsteps and live as people of love, or live as the devil’s descendants and live out our selfish desires.
What are you going to pick? What birthmark do you choose to display? Every day you make the decision of whether you will live in the love of God, loving like He does. Are you choosing this path? Are you someone that others can look to and feel the safety that God’s love provides? Or are you participating in the wide trend of church hurt? You have the freedom to choose who you will be. You have the freedom to step into God’s plan or fumble in your own. What do you choose?