*By \u201cTop,\u201d I mean things that just came to me off the top<\/em> of my head in the past 10 minutes.<\/p>\n With the release of my new book Love Matters More<\/a><\/em>, I have been told that the title begs the question: more than what<\/em>? Well, the obvious answer is: everything. But since I like to be specific, here is my List of Things Love Matters More Than. I am guessing there is a grammar mistake in that title but you know what? Love matters more than that too.\u00a0<\/p>\n 10. Sin<\/strong><\/p>\n I mean, the Bible says \u201clove covers a multitude of sins.\u201d It doesn\u2019t say that \u201clove artificially separates people from their behaviors so that I can say I care about you but still get approval from my peers by vocally disapproving of your life choices.\u201d Love matters more than sin so I think it\u2019s time we stop pretending that we can compartmentalize our love for people and throw that phrase, \u201clove the sinner but hate the sin\u201d in the garbage where it belongs.<\/p>\n 9. Giving People My Opinion<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019m not sure where we picked up this bad habit but I grew up thinking that giving people my opinion about whether they are sinning or not was like the most important bullet point on the Christian\u2019s job description. How else will they learn from inimitable knowledge of right and wrong? Eventually, I learned the only person not at risk of mistaking their opinion for The Truth\u2122 is God. So, now, I still think giving my opinion can be loving but only in the context of previous relationship and only when it\u2019s asked for.<\/p>\n 8. The Time I Wrecked My Parent\u2019s Car<\/strong><\/p>\n Even though it was their new car. And we were on vacation at the time. And then fled the scene. I am putting this here in case they still harbor hard feelings. Love Matters More \u2013 right mom?\u00a0<\/p>\n 7. Needing to Please Everyone<\/strong><\/p>\n The idea that love matters more doesn\u2019t only apply to jerks like me who like to be right and be in control. It also applies to the \u201ckeep the peace at all costs\u201d and \u201cpeople-pleasers\u201d among us. Remember Jesus\u2019 famous saying: \u201cJesus replied: \u201c\u2018Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.\u2019 This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: \u2018Love your neighbor as yourself.\u2019 <\/sup>All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.\u201d (Matthew 22:37-4). Love is this life of wisdom that tries to keep in balance my love for myself with my love for my neighbor. If we love our neighbors but it\u2019s out of obligation or a fear of rejection, that\u2019s not loving ourselves in balance. True love is found in the balance of serving others and the self-respect it takes to ask for others to serve us reciprocally. Let\u2019s not mistake love for co-dependency.<\/p>\n 6. Who You Voted For\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n This seemed important to add given where we are in the election cycle. We can stand up for our convictions, vote our consciences, and work for social causes while staying in loving relationships with people who disagree with us fundamentally. Of course, some of us cannot. So rather than being in unloving and unhealthy relationships, we might consider boundaries. And boundaries aren\u2019t unloving when done well and done out of, well, love. This fabulous Prentis Hemphill quote comes to mind, \u201cBoundaries are the distance at which I can love you and me simultaneously.\u201d<\/p>\n 5. Teaching Grown Adults a Lesson<\/strong><\/p>\n I have seen the phrase \u201cspeaking the truth in love\u201d used as a weapon, usually as a tool to try and teach grown adults a lesson like they are children. Love matters more than our need to teach people lessons. Life comes with its own consequences \u2013 love respects people\u2019s autonomy to make their own life choices.\u00a0<\/p>\n 4. Your Interest in Modern Country Music<\/strong><\/p>\n This one has taken me the longest to work through but I can honestly say that I\u2019ve come to a place where love does matter more.\u00a0<\/p>\n 3. My Ego<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s taken me a long time to realize how self-deluded I\u2019ve been. I convinced myself that my \u201ctough love\u201d was about the other person when in fact, it was about me being right. Or being unwilling to admit when I was wrong.<\/p>\n 2. My kid\u2019s inability to go to bed on time even though we\u2019ve been going through the same routine for over a decade and we\u2019ve begged and pleaded and DEAR GOD JUST LET US HAVE SOME ALONE TIME PLEASE.<\/strong><\/p>\n This might be higher on the list than normal due to recent experiences.<\/p>\n 1. My Interpretation of the Bible<\/strong><\/p>\n If you read something in the Bible<\/a> that feels unloving, trust the Spirit of God that has been cultivated in your life, and do some digging. It probably is. In a lot of cases, there is a much more charitable reading than the one you\u2019ve learned. Remember, even if you think the Bible is without error, your interpretation isn\u2019t. And there is no way to get to the Bible except through your interpretation.\u00a0 I\u2019ll leave you with one of my favorite St. Augustine quotes (yes he did say some good stuff): \u201cWhoever, then, thinks that he understands the Holy Scriptures, or any part of them, but puts such an interpretation upon them as does not tend to build up this twofold love of God and our neighbor, does not yet understand them as he ought.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"love](\"https:\/\/thebiblefornormalpeople.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/love_matters_more_book-939x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nPre-order Love Matters More<\/a><\/em> and learn more here<\/strong><\/span><\/a>.<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n