Pretending to be fine?

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. (Romans 12:9-10)

It is easy to put on a 'mask' and 'pretend' to be one way when everything inside of you is crying out to be a different way, isn't it? Don't believe me? How many times has someone asked you how you were, only to receive the 'pat answer', "Fine, and you?" The moment they ask, we 'mask' our real condition of spirit, soul, or body, don't we? We have aches and pains, but we don't declare that. We have doubts and worries, but we don't put those out there. We just go along with the flow and declare that we are 'fine'. Whatever that means anyway! It is impossible to 'pretend' to love one another, though. The genuineness of that love will come through, as will the ingenuine! 

Genuine love is something we learn at the feet of Jesus. It is impossible for us to learn truly 'genuine' love at the feet of any human being, for we are flawed in how we love one another. Three things stick out in this passage that are clear instructions on how to genuinely love one another. We will hate what is wrong, but does that mean we will hate what is wrong in their lives? Or does it mean we will hate what is being done wrong to them, around them, or against them? It could mean all these things, but it doesn't ever mean we hate the 'wrong' in them. Jesus saw the wrong in everyone he touched, but he loved them all the same. In fact, he made it clear that he would not reject them, but would embrace them, pray for them, and ultimately sacrifice it all for them!

We are to hold tightly to what is good. It is easy to hold to what is good, but in order to do that, we have to let go of what is 'wrong' in them, don't we? We have to turn that over to God, as he is the only one capable of helping them with it. The more we focus on the good in others, the less we will focus on the 'bad' or 'wrong' that is obviously evident in all of us. The more we take delight in honoring each other by focusing on the good in one another, the more we will reveal aspects of God's love that is reaching out to deal with the 'wrong' within each of us. Jesus didn't pretend to love us - he gave his all for us to show us that true love is able to see the good even when the bad or wrong is so very evident behind the mask. Just sayin!