Focusing on LOVE this month, I'm mulling through thoughts today on the importance of loving others even when it's hard to love.
How can 1 Corinthians 13 inspire our hearts to readily love others even when we've been wronged or someone is acting unlovable?
LOVE...real LOVE...is not just mushy, gushy roses and rainbows. It doesn't flow naturally all the time.
It isn't our fleshly response to difficult or hurtful situations. But...it IS God's. How can we be more like Him?
"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."
John 15:9-13
LOVE is a choice. It is an action. It is selfless and it overflows from a heart that is full of the right things...namely the love of God,
not self, but God's amazing selfless grace, mercy, and sacrificial LOVE which flows through us when we remian in Him.
"Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit
if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me."
John 15:4
John 15:4
We all make mistakes (every day). We all need to forgive when others make mistakes (every day).
We all have choices to make every single time we react instinctually or respond thoughtfully to conflict.
It's important to remember how forgiven and LOVED we are by a merciful God who asks us to imitate Him.
"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love,
as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."
Ephesians 5:1-2
It's not easy to love when we've been wronged, and it's startlingly easy to wrong others when we're not walking in love.
To walk in love, we must remain aware of the pitfalls of taking our eyes off the Word, off of Christ's selfless example and instead looking to self, losing sight of what really matters in a day, in a life. We need to remain alert, prayerful, humble before God and others.
To walk in love, we must remain aware of the pitfalls of taking our eyes off the Word, off of Christ's selfless example and instead looking to self, losing sight of what really matters in a day, in a life. We need to remain alert, prayerful, humble before God and others.
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,
casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful.
Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Resist him, firm in your faith."
casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful.
Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Resist him, firm in your faith."
1 Peter 5:6-9
So...when we drop the ball and sin against others (which we will), what are we to do?
When others sin against us or act in ways that are abrasive, how are we to respond?
We ought to look to the example set before us in Scripture, the commands we are given to LOVE.
We ought to look to the example set before us in Scripture, the commands we are given to LOVE.
If we've been wrong, we ask for forgiveness and also offer forgiveness likewise, just as we've been forgiven.
"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."
Ephesians 4:32
Let's face it, it's easy to love when we're being shown love.
But what about when we're not? What about when we've been hurt or rejected?
What if someone we know we should have love for is acting completely unlovable?
How would I like to be treated when I've made mistakes and acted myself unlovable?
How does Jesus LOVE me? How does Jesus LOVE the unlovable?
"But God shows his LOVE for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 5:8
But what about when we're not? What about when we've been hurt or rejected?
What if someone we know we should have love for is acting completely unlovable?
How would I like to be treated when I've made mistakes and acted myself unlovable?
How does Jesus LOVE me? How does Jesus LOVE the unlovable?
"But God shows his LOVE for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 5:8
"But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back.
And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them."
"If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High,
for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful."
Luke 6:27-36
I needed these reminders today as I desire to love honestly with God's LOVE in spite of rough patches in a day.
I realize that I need to keep my eyes on Christ and His character so that I can become more and more like Him, love others and look upon others the way that He looks upon them. I need to examine myself before pointing to others in conflict. I need to repent. I need to say I'm sorry when I've been wrong. I need to forgive when I've been wronged. I need to offer forgiveness. I need to offer grace even when it's hard to love. And, I need to be willing to do these things first so that by God's grace my children, my husband,
the stranger observing can see a living testimony of that which only the Lord can produce in a sinner.
I realize that I need to keep my eyes on Christ and His character so that I can become more and more like Him, love others and look upon others the way that He looks upon them. I need to examine myself before pointing to others in conflict. I need to repent. I need to say I'm sorry when I've been wrong. I need to forgive when I've been wronged. I need to offer forgiveness. I need to offer grace even when it's hard to love. And, I need to be willing to do these things first so that by God's grace my children, my husband,
the stranger observing can see a living testimony of that which only the Lord can produce in a sinner.
"Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me,
as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life."
as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life."
1 Timothy 1:15-16
Today I'm thankful for God's Word and the power it has to remind me and breathe into me that which doesn't exist apart from Christ: His patience, His kindness, His humility, His selflessness, His graciousness, His forgiveness, His tenderheartedness, His LOVE.
"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude.
It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;
it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things. Love never ends."
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
