The Love Dare, Day 12: Love Lets Others Win
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Yesterday’s Dare, “Love Cherishes,” was awesome and such a great way to get back in the saddle! Not only did it give me a chance to express to people that I understand their value and significance and that I don’t take them lightly, it also reminded me about the point of The Love Dare and Christianity and life on Earth in general: People. We are here on Earth to glorify God by being in community with each other and becoming the highest versions of ourselves, through Christ, by learning to love and serve each other unconditionally. What an honor it is to walk beside someone, knowing that she is “the inheritance of Christ”! What a privilege to know that I am too! As we grow in this understanding — that we are worth our weight in gold in the eyes of God — we cannot help but see the lives of others as inextricably linked to our own. We cannot help but to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the imprisoned and the infirm, treat the sick without bankrupting them, and properly educate and lift up the poor. It’ll just be ingrained in us. And as we are changed through the work of the Holy Spirit, the world can’t help but to follow. So let’s keep moving!
Day 12: Love Lets Others Win
Today’s Scripture: “Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” Philippians 2:4.
Today’s Lesson: The Kendricks explain in this lesson that stubbornness and defensiveness are defaults of the human model. It’s in our nature to defend and protect ourselves and our beliefs. This isn’t always a bad thing; there are certainly things in life worth standing up for and defending, our own obedience to God being chief among them. Problems come into play, however, when being “right” or “winning” comes at the expense of someone else. Or, instead of being able to work together and solve problems that arise, we dig in our heels so deeply that we end up looking more like our “Do Nothing Congress,” stalemated and no farther along than when we started.
When it comes to our interactions with each other, the Kendricks encourage us to go against our nature and be the opposite of stubborn: be willing. “It’s an attitude and spirit of cooperation that should permeate our conversations. It’s like a palm tree by the ocean that endures the greatest winds because it knows how to gracefully bend.” Of course, the ultimate example of bending is Jesus Christ’s selfless love. He did not have to, but He was willing to limit Himself in finity, serve mankind, and then die violently in our place for our sins. As the Sovereign Lord, He was well within His rights to stay in Heaven and be served by mankind, but He gave up His rights willingly, knowing that His sacrifice would be in our best and highest interest, though we couldn’t possibly deserve it. How awesome is that! Therefore, we ought to “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5), being willing to sacrifice our need or even our RIGHT to be right in order that the best and highest interests of our neighbors can be met and God can be glorified.
There are plenty of circumstances where strife can be avoided if it were simply enough to know that God knows we are right instead of arguing someone into defeat. It may cost you a little pride, but decide that your relationships and people’s feelings are more valuable to you than your need to be validated as right.
Today’s Dare: Demonstrate love by willingly choosing to give in to an area of disagreement. Tell them you are putting their preference first.
Scriptures I’m Meditation On:
“If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.” Romans 12:18
“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:3
“When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.” Proverbs 16: 7
“Blessed are the makers and maintainers of peace, for they shall be called the sons of God! Matthew 5: 9
Song of the Day: Yes, Lord, Yes — Shirley Caesar
BUY THE LOVE DARE!