Loving People You Don't Like 2016.09.30
If there was ever a person who changed the very definition of "love", it was Jesus. He had shown us how to love, disregarding His personal comfort & convenience, for others. He showed us how to love to the fullest, especially when it was painful. He is God's Son and did not have to leave Heaven to come to Earth, but did so to grow up as one of us and experience pain. And for that, most ridiculed Him and rejoiced in His death.
So, with that, how does your love compare? Do we hold fast to comfort (and excuses), or are we willing to experience discomfort in order to help others? Is forgiveness like pulling teeth? Do we compare ourselves to Jesus, which lets us off the hook? "I'm nowhere like Jesus, so how can God expect [this] from me?" And yet, He does expect that from us.
John 13:34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."
Luke 6:27 "But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,"
We are called to love others, putting aside our own personal interests and comfort... even towards those who may hate us! And that sounds impossible because it is impossible! This type of love doesn't naturally flow from this world, much less, our hearts. That's why Jesus came into the picture. It's sin that prevents us from loving in this manner, and Jesus freed us from it in order to love.
But how do we love by faith? First & foremost, we must remember how Jesus loves us. We also need to honestly reflect on our limitations on our love for others, and then leave it with God. Continuously pray for Him to teach you how to love, and then choose to love.
We need to also remember that 1 Peter 4:8 was written for the "sinned upon" and not so much the sinner - We are saved because Jesus truly loved us in that scripture. And we must live this scripture as well, to remain close to God, focused on the true source of righteousness & support. Choosing to truly love others will overcome our hurt feelings in a situation, so we can then focus on helping others to draw closer to God.
1 Peter 4:8 "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."
