An overlooked distinction…
Sep 2nd, 2009 by ljkim
There’s a difference between loving music and wanting to be a musician. Between wanting to design better things vs. wanting to be a designer. Wanting to write vs. wanting to be a writer. Loving people vs. wanting to work in non-profit. What’s the difference you say? The latter is like Salieri to the former’s Amadeus Mozart. One is fake no matter how genuine the desire, and the other the real thing. How so?
The difference is that real love is self-forgetful, the other is self-serving. One abandons all (or abandons something) for the sake of what it loves, but the other USES the thing to elevate itself… Do you see the difference? It’s possible to be so in love with the idea of being a poet or a programmer (or a pastor or a pugilist?), and not really care about the thing itself… This is why we have teachers who hate teaching, politicians who hate government, and half-hearted professionals in every field.
Once you can see the difference, consider this: there’s a difference between being religious, or pious, or a “good Christian” and actually loving God. It’s interesting to note that the Bible doesn’t use the word “religion” much, and when it does it’s never in a clearly positive sense. Instead Jesus says (taking from Deuteronomy and Leviticus, as a good rabbi should) the two main commands are to _love_ God, and love your neighbor.
Now there’s probably real nutritional value to fake hamburgers made of tofu…although if you want tofu there are better ways to prepare it. But the main benefit to the real things, real love, real devotion, actually loving God as your Savior, and actually loving the people God brings your way…is that life tastes better when it’s real. It’s sweeter (although sometimes more painful, yet worth it) – and good for you too.
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