Everyone, No Matter What

Today, at Overlake Christian Church in Redmond, Washington, I learned that the Church is moving from individual to communal "fluffy, outlandish love". It is natural, through the Holy Spirit, to extend your love to all others as Jesus did for each and every one of us. "It's easy to love everybody," but, according to Lead Pastor Mike Howerton, "it's the individuals we seem to have a problem with." He says "Love is a really really big deal to Jesus," and is mentioned by Jesus in many forms, the most important being agape, a classical Greek word referring to divine, unconditional love. It is crucial to share this measure of love on both a communal and individual level in order to share the love and example of Christ with others to perform our task that He has delegated to us to hold the ones we love (everyone, no matter what) accountable and forever active in their participation in doing the same.

I also learned that "unconditional love does not mean unaccountable love," by which, Howerton means that Jesus loves all of his followers just the way they are, but still holds them responsible for the growth of their loyalty to him. The path to total sainthood lasts a lifetime, and at the end of it, there will still be more for Jesus to forgive, since it is a quest in which we are unequivocally destined to falter in our corporeal states. That being said, knowing that we will falter, it is essential to practice the faith as dogmatically as possible whenever possible lest we stray from the faith, as we are habitually programmed to do by our sinful nature. Jesus can tell us how to correct our ways through the Holy Spirit when we listen to our hearts, which Howerton has notably seen in romantic relationships. In fact, he says, "eighty percent of spouses who initiate divorce end up regretting it and wishing they were back in their marriage," which is why God fearing Christians often patch up their relationships.

No matter what kind of relationships you have in your life, it is important that you treat the recipient the same way Jesus would treat you in any given situation. 2 Timothy 4:2 reads "Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching." This sometimes requires one to show "tough love" characterized by a willingness to accept and forgive, but a refusal to support bad habits. An example given this afternoon was a man engaged to a woman who was several thousand dollars in debt. He, who practiced strict budgeting and tithed generously, was concerned about inheriting her debt. Although in cases like this, confronting someone with their wrongs can be uncomfortable, true love is expressed by selflessly guiding the ones you care about back onto the right path.

To confront a follower in error in order to point them back to the light of Jesus, it is imperative to use tact to obtain their trust. Sensitivity is key; convey subtleties that avoid confrontation. Your goal is to remind them you care. Let them know that you would have never even brought it up had you wanted your relationship to be shallow, so they know that the issue is equally important to both sides. The objective is to address and change behavior based on the word of God without resistance, so present the message simply and effectively without unloading too many frustrations that can overwhelm them.

In turn, followers should respond to rebuke passively by acknowledging transgression against the scriptures and changing actions. Cooperation of this nature is needed for those in fellowship together to hold each other accountable and, in turn, loyal to God. Pastor Howerton is aware that this, too, can feel uncomfortable. He explains that we are psychologically hardwired to over personalize criticism and turn it into a permanent defining  omission. Defining the problem as permanent makes it unchangeable and takes off the pressure to actually change it. Keeping in mind that all repentance and revelations are made possible through Jesus himself, though, these mindsets are easily diminished in His name.

Pastor Howerton is also well aware that  bringing up uncomfortable subjects and holding others accountable for their spiritual welfare may feel inconvenient, but he reminds us to look to Jesus Christ, who exemplified the level of commitment we should all show to those whom we love. Howerton also points out that this level of commitment proved to be inconvenient for Jesus as well when He was whipped and beaten, had chunks of His beard ripped out of His face, a crown of thorns forced onto His head, and then nailed by His hands and feet to a cross and hung to death, but without it, we would be lost to our own sinful nature forever.