The more difficult choice: LOVE

Romans 12:10 (NLT)

10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

The apostle tells us that one must have a readiness and inclination to love in a genuine way. This love is the love within a family that is genuine, natural and comes from the heart.  And what can be sweeter on this side of heaven but to love and be loved.

Evangelist, author, and apologist Josh McDowell writes in his book, THE NEW TOLERANCE: How a cultural movement threatens to destroy you, your faith and your children, on page 95 –

    Tolerance says, “You must agree with me.” Love responds, “I must do something harder; I will tell you the truth because I believe ‘the truth will set you free.’”

    Tolerance says, “You must approve of what I do.” Love responds, “I must do something harder: I must love you, even when your behavior offends me.”

    Tolerance says, “You must allow me to have my way.” Love responds, “I must do something harder: I will plead with you to follow the right way, because I believe you are worth the risk.”

    Tolerance seeks to be inoffensive, love takes risks. Tolerance is indifferent; love is active. Tolerance costs nothing; love costs everything.

    Once again Jesus is the supreme example of true Christian love, which is sometimes the antithesis of tolerance. His love drove him to a cruel death on the cross. Far from being indifferent to the “lifestyle choices” of others, he paid the price of those choices with his own life, and lovingly paved the way for everyone to “go, and sin no more” (John 8:11, KJV).

    Another example of what real love won’t do is this: Love won’t minister condemnation. It won’t leave a person feeling condemned but will offer hope of forgiveness and restoration.

    If anyone had the right to condemn sinners, it was Jesus. He was perfect, without sin. Yet, “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world” (John 3:17).

I believe, as Josh McDowell, there is an obvious difference between genuine affection and love for another; and just tolerating someone. It is this love the apostle was writing to us about in Romans 12:10. We are to take delight in honoring and respecting each other, but we must love others actively and not just passively tolerate them. We are to do the harder part in life and love even when it is difficult to do so.