Your One Wants Love

As you mobilize your Ninety-nines to reach and grow their Ones and lead them towards adopting the Great Commission as a personal mission statement, many will struggle to connect with their Ones. 

A reason for this is that churches have invested vast resources in intellectual presentations of Faith since the Modern Age. Nothing is inherently wrong with this, but it overlooks something fundamental about humans. 

We are inherently emotional, spiritual, relational, and thinking beings, and when we only appeal to logic and reason, we neglect vital aspects of a person’s make-up.

Think about this: The Fruit of the Spirit list in Galatians 5 is primarily emotional and relational, not intellectual. 

So, let’s state the obvious. Your One wants to be loved UNCONDITIONALLY. 

No. They CRAVE being loved unconditionally. 

This is where the Ninety-nine’s job gets challenging. 

For example, I have a neighbor who, to be honest, drives me a little crazy. 

They even called the cops on me for parking my car in a spot they didn’t like without talking to me first. When the police showed up, they explained that nothing illegal was happening and asked me to move my car to keep the peace. 

I did, but it soured me a little. So I am tempted to treat them with contempt (and write blog posts about them). 

But if I understand the Good Samaritan accurately, I am called to love them unconditionally. They are both my physical neighbor and my Biblical neighbor. 

I should wish them well, want good things for them, and treat them like I want to be treated. I should love them unconditionally, even when I want to put conditions in place. 

One of the stunning things about the crucifixion and resurrection is that it proves that we can do the absolute worst thing to God, and he will still come back for us and love us. 

Even when Jesus was in agony, he said, “Father, forgive them. They do not know what they are doing.”

This is our role model. We are his apprentices. 

So, teach your Ninety-nine the depths of God’s love for them. 

My years in ministry tell me that most people in your church doubt that God 100% unconditionally loves them, even when they intellectually say that they do.

This is the starting point for sharing unconditional love for others.

When you teach and model this for our churches, it will be easier for them to give their Ones what they need, UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.