Love’s Power: You Hurt Me, You Help Me. (reflection)

Posted on June 12, 2015 by My Berean Life

So, this Porcupine People (Ezell, 1998) book is serving some realities about God’s command to love…His way. Let me share this quote.

Do you know what you get when you cross a pit bull with Lassie? You get a dog that will attack you and then run for help. Yes! A porcupine person may hurt you and then turn to help you later. Loving can trigger that transformation. (p. 41)

Wow, right?! Real love inspires behavior change. Why? Because real love sparks new perspective. As I believe this new life-giving perspective, then I live up to it. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we know His love is real love because we are different. We changed. We transformed. We live in light and not darkness. We think a new way, and even approach trouble and trial and sin more openly with the Father. We do not hide anymore from ourselves and all our native and conferred deficiencies. Instead, we learn to trust His unchanging love and in truth, become new.

God chose us. We did not choose Him. He offered transformation and initiated it by seeing us through love. By grace we are saved through faith…not because of our doing, but because He made an offer and we said yes. We accepted God’s gift, and over time witnessed personal change.

Why then do we preach a message of suspicion and judgment? Why do we give offerings in response to messages about cutting people loose in the name of righteousness and “be ye separate from the unclean thing”? Why do we create a new law that further divides?

Isn’t God great enough in us to love everyone?

This little thought is not about changing people. It’s about us remembering that some people will change because we remember we changed. It’s about loving because God said so…not because we can change them. It’s about not backing away from an authentic love walk because they hurt us — once, twice or every time we deal with them. It’s about rooting ourselves in God’s love so that we can accept their help after they wounded us.

Love is a mystery — real Godly love. Its power to change us is undeniable (you and I are proof!). But its power also can change “them”. I’m not saying change your message….I’m saying remember to show/add love.

Selah, Royal Ones. We were the “crazy” pit bull once too.

Reference: Ezell, L. (1998). Porcupine people: Learning to love the unlovable. Ann Arbor, Michigan: Servant Publications.

Images: pit bull, Lassie