Why must love be limited?

Friends, I want to share an issue that has transformed me from the inside out lately, and it pertains to what Jesus says are the two greatest commandments--to love God and people.  "Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself'" (Mt. 22:37-39 NIV).

Why do we find it so incredibly difficult to follow these commands, especially the latter?

"They're weird."
"I don't know them."
"They're not my kind of people."
"It's too awkward; I don't want to be there."
"I don't know how to talk to them..."

Sound familiar?  I've heard these excuses for years...and have used many of them myself to justify why I should or do not want to be open, inviting, accepting, or conversational with others.  But isn't that bothersome?  Isn't it vexing to realize how one can be SO comfortable, limiting, short-sighted, risk averse, conforming, complacent, indifferent, closed-minded, selfish, and prideful?

Frankly, that was and still is me.  One of my greatest struggles upon entering college was developing the ability to love people genuinely.  And let me tell you, it was excruciatingly difficult to do just that.  Everywhere I turned, there were strange people; they were weird, said strange things, were socially awkward, and seemingly had little sense of proper hygiene.

The fact was that I had little to no heart for people I did not already know of love.  I was in my own world of privilege, and I didn't care about those of whom I had no knowledge or personal connection.  I was more consumed about being comfortable or finding the 'right group of friends' with whom I wanted to associate.  But God has allowed me to see how that mentality is where I had it all wrong.

Slowly, Jesus helped me to see how my heart had been so closed, and my love so limited.  Since I began college till now, I can say that the Lord has truly transformed my heart and my capacity to shower love and grace upon others.  I assure you, it has not come without a struggle.  There are numerous moments in which I've been proud and pretentious because I viewed myself above those around me.  Eventually, I came to see how that was legitimately...so dumb.

It wasn't "dumb" for the fact that I was being prideful or lofty.  Rather, I saw how it was foolish to think that I viewed others as void from the throne of grace.  And that, my friends, was when it hit me: what makes me so much better than another person that they don't deserve attention--or even other human interaction?

This past year, God broke me...and he broke me to my very core.  I understood that, yes, people have very different personalities.  We all think and act on various levels or capacities.  But that doesn't make them any more or less of a person.  So why does ignorance pervade our lack of love?  You don't know the other person; you can't make assumptions about his or her life.  Since when are you entitled to judge another?  Isn't that simply living by what Bonhoeffer describes as 'cheap grace'?  It's the very essence of being nominal--calling yourself a Christian but your conduct says otherwise.

In no way am I perfect or the most extroverted or inviting person there is.  But I know what it's like to be the new person, to have everyone ignore you, and to feel like you have no place in this world.  Well, if we are called by Jesus to be active witnesses, to make disciples, and to live missionally, that starts with talking to people--regardless of what you assume about them.  In fact, don't even make any assumptions.

How can you claim to love people when such affection or care is shown to those you already love?  The real challenge is loving those outside of your comfort zone--to get to know them as a soul, not simply an acquaintance.

In the end, I guess I'm beginning to see more and more of how God redeems us when we lavish love and care and kindness on other people.  I find it ironic how one of my greatest struggles has become such an immense passion of mine... But HEY, God loved me first!  So if I claim to be a follower of Jesus and all he represents, I want to love God and love people as much as I can, while I still can.

Love God. Love people.