The other day I started thinking about relationships that I have have been blessed to have over the 28 years I have been alive. The relationships that have come, have gone, and have blossomed into life-long friends. It made me think about how change is inevitable but it doesn't have to make or break our friendships. That if we can master the art of extending and giving grace to others, we can remain peaceful in the face of adversity and change.
Finding the balance between faith and love has been such a hard road for me and I have to admit there have been times I have failed miserably at showing others the grace they deserve, and if you know me personally and I have ever failed to give you grace I want to say I am sorry, and I pray that you will forgive me and I pray that the Lord would continue to lead me in grace and mercy.
For so long I have been so one sided and so focused on being right that I forgot that the Lord wants more than that, He wants us to be out in the world showing others true love, the love that comes only from Him, the love that completely encompasses others and just immerses those we come into contact with, for so long I have been concerned more with the "I'm right and what you're doing is wrong" aspect and I should have been more focused on, "we are all imperfect but we are all deserving of love" aspect.
Then I entered the "love is the most important thing above all and we shouldn't worry about the rest. Just love and accept everyone" phase. During that time I felt gay marriage was okay and was just overall more accepting and open about it and possibly would have even advocated for it. I may not have struggled with homosexuality myself but I kind of had the stance of approval and almost the "what happens in your home behind closed door is none of my business. So if you love a man, then great, if you love a woman, that's fine too. But what I’ve found is that there can be balance. I can stand firm on what the Word has to say on such issues while still loving that person and accepting them for who they are not what they do. We can disagree with someone’s actions but still deeply love and care for that person.
I'm not saying I have it perfect now but I think I have found a place where I can balance my faith, and love and do it somewhat gracefully, well that's my hope anyways. I still get it wrong sometimes and sometimes my pride and ego get the better of me, but I feel like I can love people who are different from me whether it be in their sexuality, religion, or any other area in life while still honoring and adhering to my beliefs and hopefully do it with grace (only by His grace).
I feel like sometimes finding God's grace and balancing faith with loving others means agreeing to disagree, knowing what subjects are worthy of putting up a fight and which aren't, but ultimately always searching His Word and knowing where the Lord stands on the issue. It kind of reminds me of the whole "WWJD" movement/franchise and although I know it is SOO dated it also evokes us to really think about what the Lord would do, or have us do in certain situations.
So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that we can love others without jeopardizing our faith if we ask God to bestow His grace upon us and in turn bestow that same grace unto others.
Luke 6:35-36 says,
"But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful."
Romans 12:9 says,
"Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good."
Ephesians 4:29
"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."
In closing might 2 Peter 3:18 be our prayer as sons and daughters of the Lord,
"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."
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