Swiss Alps - photo taken by KarisMy little sister wrote me an email last week which really impacted me when she told me about her marriage. She said, "We are learning more about the character of Christ because we are forced to be selfless, forgive freely, and show unconditional love in order to make our marriage work."
Being selfless is something which is not really in human nature. Young children have difficulty sharing toys, and when it comes to sacrificing time, money or effort, adults are rarely willing to do so. Can you sacrifice some time to hang out with a friend you normally would not hang out with? Would you give someone $20 that they ask for without asking what it is for? Would you give an extra hour at work unpaid just to help out your co-workers? Would you "go the extra mile?"
Forgiving freely is something that is harder to do. You can say that you forgive someone, but do you feel it in your heart? I had a friend when I was 10 years old who I thought was my best friend in the world. We were inseperable for a year, and then she suddenly shunned me and never spoke to me again. I was terribly hurt and it took me a long time to get over, but I realized several years later that I had to forgive her for what she did, even if I never saw her again. It's amazing what a weight off my shoulders it was when I really, truly forgave her!
Unconditional love is the hardest of them all. Can you love someone regardless of who they are or what they have done? Christ Himself was able to do this easily. He came to love the world, not just the ones who would follow Him. He loves everyone regardless of who they are or what they have done, regardless of which religion or denomination a person belongs to ... He loves each and every person. These are incredibly high standards to live up to, standards which are inhuman. Even so, we can try our hardest to emulate Christ and to love as He loves.
