Can you think of people in your life right now who are hard to love? Is there solely one person or are there a handful of people you just can’t seem to love the way you should? The bible says, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” 1 John 4:7, but we all know that is easier said than done. Loving people is one of the top things that God consistently calls us to do and it’s probably because He knew it would not be easy.
In this world, we encounter and experience many situations with people that make it difficult for us to soften our hearts to love or to have the courage to love. There are individuals who have strong personalities or bizarre characteristics that can be a turn off if things don’t “click”. There are individuals who have a messy past that you are either scared of getting involved with or getting hurt from. Then, there are the individuals who have hurt you personally and caused you to lose trust in them and others.
As I reflect on myself, I admit that it is a daily struggle to love selflessly without judgement or limitations. There are many people who I struggle to fully love and embrace because of an unpleasant first encounter, a personal situation, or because of what I have heard about them. It is truly convicting when reading through the word and God says, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8. I certainly have not been fulfilling that.
There are many times where I have prayed to God to give me a heart that loves people and I thought that one day I would just love people without fear, feeling pain, or being bias, but that is not the case. We need to continuously seek God to understand what love is in order to have a heart that loves people regardless of our pain, fears, and biases. As we seek God we will see that, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives our fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us,” 1 John 4:18-19. The more that we know God, the more that we will understand love as written in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8,
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
I think that love is a beautiful and powerful thing created by God and IS God. It is truly humbling to know that God calls us to love others with this kind of love.
~God, teach me to have a heart with compassion, courage, and grace that would love without limits.
Praying that these verses would also encourage and give you more insight about loving others.
“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” Luke 6:35
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Ephesians 4:2
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” John 15:13
In this world, we encounter and experience many situations with people that make it difficult for us to soften our hearts to love or to have the courage to love. There are individuals who have strong personalities or bizarre characteristics that can be a turn off if things don’t “click”. There are individuals who have a messy past that you are either scared of getting involved with or getting hurt from. Then, there are the individuals who have hurt you personally and caused you to lose trust in them and others.
As I reflect on myself, I admit that it is a daily struggle to love selflessly without judgement or limitations. There are many people who I struggle to fully love and embrace because of an unpleasant first encounter, a personal situation, or because of what I have heard about them. It is truly convicting when reading through the word and God says, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8. I certainly have not been fulfilling that.
There are many times where I have prayed to God to give me a heart that loves people and I thought that one day I would just love people without fear, feeling pain, or being bias, but that is not the case. We need to continuously seek God to understand what love is in order to have a heart that loves people regardless of our pain, fears, and biases. As we seek God we will see that, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives our fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us,” 1 John 4:18-19. The more that we know God, the more that we will understand love as written in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8,
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
I think that love is a beautiful and powerful thing created by God and IS God. It is truly humbling to know that God calls us to love others with this kind of love.
~God, teach me to have a heart with compassion, courage, and grace that would love without limits.
Praying that these verses would also encourage and give you more insight about loving others.
“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” Luke 6:35
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Ephesians 4:2
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” John 15:13
