Do You Love Them?

I was able to attend two conferences in the last couple of months. One was for the Diaspora in Europe and the other was a type of Church Planting School for ReachGlobal Europe.  

At the first conference I found myself listening to the speaker intently as he posed this question:

"Do you love the people in the country that you are there to serve?"

You may wonder why he would ask that of a group of global workers who have left their own families and homes to move overseas and serve a particular demographic of people.  Aren't they supposed to be there because they love people and want them to come to know the Lord?  
Of course we should!  However, life happens: irritations occur, things get on our nerves, and that question has to be asked. 

When I heard that question I was seriously convicted.  Yes, of course I love French people, right?  Well, as I thought about it more and reflected on the attitude of my heart I had to be honest and say that I didn't know if I always had the same sort of 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 kind of love for the French people that I interact with on a daily basis.

Am I patient and kind, thinking the best of the French when I am rubbed the wrong way by differences in attitudes and culture?  

If I am honest, my love needs to grow.  I want to truly love people around me as Jesus loves them because HE first loved me.  I pray that we may all grow in our love for others, particularly those who are not easy for us to love.

Posted by Kathy
Member, ReachParis