Do All Things in Love

I originally started this blog as a way to share my testimony of the Lord’s miraculous healing, and while I still may do that in some capacity, I am realizing that the Lord is now leading me in a different direction. In light of the recent events in our country, I’ve realized that there's no point in having my health when I’m not living in obedience to the Lord. I have always felt a strong conviction that social media was not my platform, so as I’m processing what has happened in our country over the past week and trying to figure out what to say and do, this is where the Lord has led me. 

It’s difficult to find the words to accurately express the range of emotions I’ve experienced, and am still experiencing, over the past few days. I’ve felt a loss and void for someone I’ve never met. I’ve felt extreme grief for a wife who lost the love of her life and the children who lost their daddy and protector. I’ve felt anger for how far we’ve fallen as a society where not only can you be murdered for expressing the same freedom that our nation was founded on simply because someone doesn’t like or agree with what you’re saying, but also for that death being celebrated. 

I slept terribly on Wednesday night. As I laid next to my own husband after putting my two kids to bed, I couldn’t stop thinking about Erika Kirk and her children. It was her first night in a bed by herself. Would she sleep? And if she did, how many times would she wake up hoping and praying it was all a nightmare only to feel the void next to her and realize this is her new reality? How many times will her children ask “Where’s Daddy?” and she would have to be strong as she found the way to answer them so they understand, then comfort them in their grief. My heart is broken for them, and it will be for a long time. 

Where do we go from here? I’ve been pondering that question over the last few days. We’ve reached a deep, dark chasm in our society, and it’s up to us as Christians to close it. Charlie Kirk’s legacy is his faithful love for and obedience to the Lord, and his courage to talk to and debate with people in person, not behind a screen and keyboard. Was he perfect? No he wasn't, but none of us are. We are all sinners in need of a Savior. The Lord gifted him with wisdom, knowledge, discernment, and courage, and he didn’t waste it, as so many of us do. It’s almost as if Charlie knew his days on earth would be cut short - he ran with his God-given purpose and shared the Gospel to as many people as would listen. 

This is our Call to Action. No one can or will replace Charlie Kirk. But we as Christians can collectively pick up the torch and continue his legacy. However, we must look to scripture as our guide and Jesus as our model. We cannot let anger, judgement, and self-righteousness drive our words and actions. In 2 Corinthians 10:3-4, Paul states, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have the divine power to demolish strongholds,” (NIV). How do we fight? Jesus commanded us, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it, Love your neighbor as yourself,” (Matthew 22:37-40). 

How do we do that? We must spend time in scripture DAILY and ask the Lord to speak to us through it. We must pray without ceasing. We must forgive, and trust that the Lord is righteous and just in His judgement. We must love our neighbors, including and especially our enemies. Jesus commands us in Luke’s gospel to “...Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you,” (Luke 6:27-29). 

And we MUST share the gospel with urgency, for Jesus also tells us that, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,” (John 14:6). In order to do that effectively and meet people where they’re at. We must seek first to understand, rather than be understood. We can’t engage in social media comment debates, but instead reach out privately to meet in person. We have to be courageous and willing to have the hard conversations. But all of this must be done in love, because “God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him,” (1 John 4:16).

We all can aspire to live a life like Charlie, convicted by the Lord and free of fear. That’s something I’ve experienced since his tragic passing, that I’m no longer afraid of death. I’d rather die for the Kingdom than live for the world. If we all do our part, we will be welcomed into our heavenly home as Charlie was, with a “...Well done, good and faithful servant,” (Matthew 25:23).