Love is Risky!

So, tonight was our 2nd night of "Love out Loud" Youth Bible Study. Our focus tonight was "Love Risks".

We talked about loving our enemies, and those who persecute you....such a DIFFICULT act!!!!! We all have those people in our lives that are...well...let's just say difficult to love :) Those that do everything in the world to make us want to NOT love them. Loving these people is risky - they may not love us back, other people may think we're crazy, our reputation might be affected...But Jesus tells us those are the ones that we HAVE to go out of our way to love. If we can't love our enemies, we are no different than the world (Matthew 5:43-48)

Risky love can also mean allowing Christ's love to outshine your own frustrations...still being pleasant and even thanking the waitress that is slow and got your order wrong, helping the mother that has a child that has screamed and cried all through Wal-Mart resulting in your splitting headache, taking the trash out even though that is your spouse's "chore" just because you were going outside anyway...this is "showing the truth by our actions" (1 John 3:18) It's completely awkward, uncomfortable, out of our comfort zone, and just down right risky...but, so worth it!

Brad challenged us to find some way this week to show love in a risky way - whether it's showing love to someone that is hard to love, or by showing love in a surprising way to someone that's easy to love.

Do you think you're up for the challenge? Let me know if you show some risky love, and the result...I would love to hear about it!