The kind of love modeled by Jesus Christ has nothing to do with unconditional acceptance or manners. Learn to love others with a Bold Love that will help them change.
Did Jesus Christ love people unconditionally? If Jesus had practiced the kind of love many people advocate nowadays, He would likely have lived to a ripe old age. We've come to view love as being nice - forgiving and forgetting, yielding to the desires of others. Yet the kind of love modeled by Jesus has nothing to do with manners or unconditional acceptance. Rather it is shrewd, disruptive, courageous, and - as a result - socially unacceptable.
In Bold Love, Dr. Dan Allender and Dr. Tremper Longman lll explain the aggressive, unrelenting, passionate power of genuine love. Far from helping you "get along" with others, this kind of love introduces the outlandish possibility of making a significant, life-changing impact on family, friends, coworkers - even your enemies.
"Bold love is anything but passive," writes Dr. Allender. "It is unpredictable, cunning, and creative. It is a violation of the natural order of things. In many cases it will unnerve, offend, disturb, or even hurt those who are being loved. But in the end it will also compel them to deal with the internal disease that is robbing them (and others) of true beauty."
So if it feels like you've turned the other cheek so many times your head is spinning, it's probably time to take a second look at your practice of love. Because there's nothing redemptive about a love that just accepts people for who they are.
