Unconditional Love

      When we talk of unconditional love sometimes it confuses people. Too many feel that unconditional love means you have to accept a person and everything they do, right or wrong. Unconditional love DOES mean we accept the person, but we do not have accept his or her wrong choices, words, actions, and so forth. We can still love someone and not agree with them, although in this world today that seems to be unheard of. Too many people get offended if we don't agree with them in everything and thus we see all the chaos and contention in the world mounting higher and higher. 

     May I start out with a rather simple example and then move to the highest example there is in history. Let's say you have a nice old dog that has been just a wonderful asset to your life and and has helped in many ways raise your kids. Anyone who has been around dogs know that they can contribute greatly to a child's life and security. Well, let's say that one of you children comes into the family room where your old dog is sleeping soundly on his bed, not bothering a soul, and your child walks over to it and kicks it good and hard. Is that child's action okay? Are you going to look the other way? Are you going to pat him on the head and say, "Wow, that was a great kick, my dear." (And I say him because I had all sons, but it could be a girl! Don't want to offend anyone here! A sidenote to the blog! Haha!) If you are a good caring parent AND responsible pet owner, you definitely are not going to condone your child's actions! You let her (see, I am sharing equal rights here! Haha!) know in no uncertain terms that kicking old Pal IS NOT acceptable behavior! It is up to you to decide what to do from here, but if you discipline your child does that mean you don't love him/her anymore? Do you see what I am getting at? Wrong behavior is wrong behavior and we do not have to allow it nor accept it, BUT we do still need to love the person. After all, if you don't show that person love and respect, especially when they choose to do the right things, then many times more wrong things will follow in order to get your attention. But then that is a whole other discussion!

     And we do have the highest example who taught in very simple words this concept as well. Jesus Christ loves everyone. And when He was upon the earth a woman taken in adultery was brought to Him, by men hoping to condemn and stone the woman, as was the law. Turns out that Jesus with a simple statement gave the condemning men a guilty conscience when He said, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." Well, who, of any of us, has no sin? Our sins may all be different, but we have them and, hopefully, are doing what we can to overcome them and be better people. So in one way He was saying, "Quit pointing the finger and condemning until you have you right," BUT did that mean that He was okay with their sins as well as hers? No, because after the   condemners left, Christ turned to the woman and asked if anyone had condemned her. She said, "No, man, Lord." And Jesus Christ, the only man who lived a perfect life on this earth, said, "Neither do I condemn thee: go and SIN NO MORE." He did not say that what she had chosen to do was okay. He told her in very clear terms that He loved her and accepted HER, but not her sin. That is unconditional love and that is what we need to strive to have for one another. After all, it is His example we are trying to follow in all things!