If Loving You is Wrong I Don’t Want to be Right

My dad, Archie, is a huge fan of old school music. Now, bear with me, it’s not the kind of music you hear on the radio anymore. He’s particularly fond of blues music, and we often debate why he’s a fan of it. Personally, I find the blues to be quite depressing. It seems like everyone is losing something or someone in the music. My dad, however, believes that it reflects real life. I suppose that’s possible. Or maybe it’s just how they portray their lives in the music. Who knows for sure? All I can say is that it’s a bit depressing.

Now, let me tell you about my dad. When his favorite song comes on, he can’t resist lip-syncing. He does it with such soul and passion. He’ll often tap you on the shoulder to get your attention and then lip-sing the song directly to you. One of our many family gatherings, I was right next to him when “If Loving You Is Wrong I Don’t Want To Be Right” came on. Guess what? I got tapped on the shoulder, and he was lip-singing right to me! I wish you could have seen my dad sitting in his chair, dancing and lip-syncing.

What’s even more incredible is when my dad and a few other 60-year-olds are together and one of these old-school songs comes on. They all start singing, rocking, and dancing in their chairs. Alright, back to my original story. He sings the first verse with such demonstrative energy that it’s hard not to be captivated:

If loving you is wrong, I don't wanna be right

If being right means being without you

I'd rather live a wrong doing life

Your mama and daddy say it's a shame

It's a downright disgrace

But long as I got you by my side

I don't care what your people say

Okay! Okay! I understand the meaning behind this song, so please don’t raise your eyebrows too much. I have a point to make, and I promise, so please be patient with me. However, I do want to remind you of scripture when it comes to matters like this. 1st Corinthians 1:27 (ESV) states, “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise…” So, please relax. The lyrics of this song convey the message of love. Lord Jesus taught us “who” to love using similar words:

Matthew 22:37-38 (NIV) 37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.

If you’ve been following my writings, you already know about the “testy bunch” (the Pharisees and Sadducees). They constantly challenged the Lord Jesus, and the passage in view was one of many responses He gave to that testy bunch while teaching in the temple courts. Just as the Pharisees and Sadducees challenged Jesus, you and I will be challenged as well. Those challenges may sound like this:

How do you serve a God who allows bad things to happen?
Why do good people die?
Why do babies and children die?
Why are there natural disasters?
How can you love a God you can’t see or touch?

These questions will come, sometimes directly from people, sometimes indirectly through social media, and sometimes internally from within our own thoughts. Do I have all the answers? No. But Scripture gives us clarity about the nature of God even when our understanding falls short. Isaiah 55:8–9 reminds us:

Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV 8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. 9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

We are all here according to the plan and purpose of our Heavenly Father. Proverbs 19:21 (NIV) reinforces this truth:

Proverbs 19:21 NIV 21 Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.

So even in a world that challenges your faith, you can still sing out in confidence, knowing that God’s purpose stands:

If loving you is wrong, I don't wanna be right

If being right means being without you

I'd rather live a wrong doing life

Your mama and daddy say it's a shame

It's a downright disgrace

But long as I got you by my side

I don't care what these people say

Your friends tell you it's no future in loving an invisible man

If I can't see you when I want, I'll see you when I can

If loving you is wrong, I don't wanna be right

If loving you is wrong, I don't wanna be right

As I wrap this up, let me leave you with this: we live in a world that now calls right, wrong and wrong, right. None of this should surprise us, because the Lord Jesus told us it would happen. He warned that the hearts of many would grow cold and that many would fall away from believing. In times like these, remember what Jesus called the first and greatest commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”

Your devotion is not proven to people through silly challenges, debates, or demands. Your devotion is proven to the Heavenly Father through your love, your obedience, and your faithfulness to Him. Do not let your heart grow cold. The timeless Word of God, along with the prophecies that have been fulfilled, are your proof and your source. The Heavenly Father is alive and active, performing miracles every single day. 

So sing it with your whole heart: “If loving You is wrong, I don’t want to be right.”

Next Step:

Loving God fully means loving Him without reservation. Reflect on whether the Heavenly Father has every part of you.

God bless you, God keep you. God loves you and I love you too!