If
we say that we love God, but we harbor unforgiveness in our heart toward
someone, God's Word calls us a liar. It makes sense that if we cannot love
someone that we can see, we do not really love our Supreme Being whom we have
never seen (1 John 4:20).
This
is not as restrictive as it sounds. When someone wounds us deeply, it is hard
for us to get over it. However, forgiveness has nothing to do with how we feel;
yet, everything pertaining to how we act.
God
never calls us to like someone, but simply to allow Him to love them through
us. This is an awesome testimony to our adversaries. Unless they are
cold-hearted, or deeply wounded themselves, they cannot help but resolve the
conflict with us when they experience this sacrificial love.
Of
course, we do not have to spend hours of time with them, or hang out with them
in social gathers. We simply follow the direction of God's Spirit whenever He
puts us in the same vicinity with them.
Everyone
needs love. They want to feel cherished, cared for and needed. When they do not
receive this affirmation, they get discouraged and lose hope. As we love
others, we show gratitude to God, and prove to the world that we are followers
of Jesus Christ (John 13:34-35).
God’s
Agape love transcends the physical and emotional realms of life. Christ’s love
is self-sacrificing, yet not codependent. Christ does not encourage us to stop
caring for our own needs. If we do not love our self first, we can never love
someone else (Mark 12:31).
The
balance in enjoying a healthy sense of love for our “self” here has nothing to
do with selfish ambition or vain conceit, but with humility in considering
others better than our selves (Philippians 2:3) at the same time that we make
sure our needs are met as well.
Prayer:
Father
God, the love that You want for us and in us defies natural affection, and
loves in spite of the recipient’s attitude and behavior. Your love works
miracles in people’s lives. We receive Your love unconditionally; therefore, we
can love our self and others unconditionally too.
You
loved us before we even knew You (Romans 5:8). When we share Your love with
others, we bring glory and honor to Your name. You showed us how to love one
another deeply, from the heart (1 Peter 1:22). We rejoice when others rejoice,
and we cry when others hurt, but most of all, we forgive even our vilest
offender, simply because You forgave us.
Thought
for the Day:
God
calls us to love others as Jesus loves us, and He loved us enough to leave the
riches of Heaven, even though we are completely unlovable and sinful; this
level of love inspires us to demonstrate this same love to our self, and to one
another, as we reflect the joy and peace found only in Jesus, and we are an
extension of Christ’s love to everyone in our sphere of influence.
