Love Anyway is a mixed media by Shevon Johnson which was uploaded on December 7th, 2012.
Title
Love Anyway
Artist
Shevon Johnson
Medium
Mixed Media - Photography & Digital
Description
Love Anyway...
I think if we could sum up the message and actions of Christ into two simple words, it would be “love anyway”. --– Love God, love people, love yourself...ANYWAY. Regardless of how we feel about God, others or even ourselves, God tells us in the Bible that the power of love is our defense weapon...even against the offenses of our own hearts! Countless examples of how God calls us to love and forgive in the same way that He has loved and forgiven us can be found throughout the entire Bible. Even while Jesus was brutally beaten, mocked and crucified on the cross, He cried out to God, saying, “Father, forgive them. They do not know what they are doing.” -- His decision was to love those who were killing Him instead of hating them. He loved them...anyway....He loved them regardless of the evil in their hearts.
Here are a few examples from the Bible where God tells us to “love anyway”:
“You have heard that it has been said, ‘You must love your neighbor and hate those who hate you.’ But I tell you, love those who hate you. (*Respect and give thanks for those who say bad things to you. Do good to those who hate you.) Pray for those who do bad things to you and who make it hard for you. Then you may be the sons of your Father Who is in heaven. His sun shines on bad people and on good people. He sends rain on those who are right with God and on those who are not right with God. If you love those who love you, what reward can you expect from that? Do not even the tax-gatherers do that? If you say hello only to the people you like, are you doing any more than others? The people who do not know God do that much. You must be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. – Matthew 5:43-48 (NLV)
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. – Romans 12:21
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ ; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”– Luke 10:27
Obviously God knows that “loving anyway” isn’t an easy thing to do. But He tells us that with His help, we can love unconditionally just as He, Himself loves us. Because I have seen how love has the power to heal an angry or broken heart --- I want to LOVE ANYWAY!
Uploaded
December 7th, 2012
