
FACING THE TIMES
Encouraging conquerors and movers, no quitters! Restoring hope
and faith...where souls are despaired.
Have you ever wondered how you could possibly love someone that you hate? We live in a world filled with millions of different people, created with both good and bad attributes. It's easier to get along with the "good attributed" people. They seem to make it easy to love someone, but what about the times when their attitude is so 'wrong' and so 'bad'-it stinks!. Do you always love them? Is it possible to love them even when they are "getting on your nerves"? What about the "hard-to-like-people"? There is the annoyer, the backbiter, the hypocrite, the ones with the jealous eyes, the ones with strife, the babbler, the flatter, the really selfish kind, the one who blasphemes your 'good name'.Those that you do good to but, yet they shamelessly spit in face. There is also the legendary lairs, the adulterers, the theft, the murderer, the manipulators, the unjust judge, the confusion makers, the oppressors, even haters. How in the world...could any one "love" people like that. They are totally "unlovable"!" "We're talking about people who will do you more harm than good. Should I love these kind of people? Well, I don't have to...after all 'love is choice'!" Well technically, that is true. But real love also has no boundaries. It's patient, it's kind, it's long-suffering and it keeps no record of wrong; it is unselfish and is not arrogant...(1 Corinthians 13:4-8). So, according to the Holy Book, love means denying your own self, your own good pleasure, and selflessly giving of yourself for the good of others. "But what good does this bring me? I love people who love me and those who care about me. You get what you give. So hating those who hate me, sounds just about fair enough to me." Wait! Before you go ahead of yourself and try to defend your 'so-called' right to not to love "people like that", let's take a look at the profitability of your choice of actions- to 'hate' or to 'love' | "I am thankful for all those difficult people in my life that show me exactly what I do not want to be." |
How to Love the "Un-loveable"
No doubt, it is hard enough to live with some people, and loving them may be even more difficult. But if we are living our lives to please Almighty God, in order for us to find favor in His sight, we must play by 'His Rules'. In other words, we must love as He would love, and serve as Christ would serve. Bear in mind that we have no credit if we love them that love us and do good to them that do good to us (Luke 6:31-32-NASB). Scripture did not advise us to do to others what they do to us, instead Jesus said, "Treat others the same way you want them to treat you" (vs.31) It comes back to, "what you get is what you give". We ought to be aware that "what goes around comes around", and that's a true saying! "Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return" (vs.38).
So, instead of being an annoyer to the annoyer and instead of backbiting about the backbiter and trying to kill the murderer, do good to them. Love them, serve them, let them know that you care about them. Say kind words to and about the hypocrite. You do this because it is the right thing to do! Imagine what hate and hate will do, think about what killing and more killing will do. Wouldn't it encourage more "people that like"? It will only increase the 'ugliness of sin' and a more bitter world.
Consider the Rewards
But think about what the world will be like, and what your life could be like, if you are able to love everyone including those who persecute you, or anyone that does you wrong. Yes, it is no easy task but it is not unattainable because it if was, then God would not have encouraged us to do it. You can do this! God will enable you, and though you feel not obliged of loving "difficult" people, you don't really have a choice if you want to have a blessed and fulfilling life. You got to love 'em, when they're good and when they're bad.
(vs.27-30)- “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 mistreat you. Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back."
God sets the example of love for us to follow.
(vs.35-37) "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 Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned."
If God who is Holy and loving and perfect in nature, could love me; a wretched, undeserving, human being, unholy by nature. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" Romans 5:8. Who then is me to reject, hate and disregard my fellow beings, who are all in all imperfect by nature. The fact the breath of life in all of us has being energized by God Himself, should give us some sense of gratitude in our hearts to be loving and kind enough to others the same way God has been to us. After all, we came from the same 'Mother-Father'- let's put it that way. Stop the fighting...stop hating...Love and Be Blessed!
Posted by Tamra Brathwaite @Living to Reach ACME
No doubt, it is hard enough to live with some people, and loving them may be even more difficult. But if we are living our lives to please Almighty God, in order for us to find favor in His sight, we must play by 'His Rules'. In other words, we must love as He would love, and serve as Christ would serve. Bear in mind that we have no credit if we love them that love us and do good to them that do good to us (Luke 6:31-32-NASB). Scripture did not advise us to do to others what they do to us, instead Jesus said, "Treat others the same way you want them to treat you" (vs.31) It comes back to, "what you get is what you give". We ought to be aware that "what goes around comes around", and that's a true saying! "Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return" (vs.38).
So, instead of being an annoyer to the annoyer and instead of backbiting about the backbiter and trying to kill the murderer, do good to them. Love them, serve them, let them know that you care about them. Say kind words to and about the hypocrite. You do this because it is the right thing to do! Imagine what hate and hate will do, think about what killing and more killing will do. Wouldn't it encourage more "people that like"? It will only increase the 'ugliness of sin' and a more bitter world.
Consider the Rewards
But think about what the world will be like, and what your life could be like, if you are able to love everyone including those who persecute you, or anyone that does you wrong. Yes, it is no easy task but it is not unattainable because it if was, then God would not have encouraged us to do it. You can do this! God will enable you, and though you feel not obliged of loving "difficult" people, you don't really have a choice if you want to have a blessed and fulfilling life. You got to love 'em, when they're good and when they're bad.
(vs.27-30)- “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 mistreat you. Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back."
God sets the example of love for us to follow.
(vs.35-37) "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 Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned."
If God who is Holy and loving and perfect in nature, could love me; a wretched, undeserving, human being, unholy by nature. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" Romans 5:8. Who then is me to reject, hate and disregard my fellow beings, who are all in all imperfect by nature. The fact the breath of life in all of us has being energized by God Himself, should give us some sense of gratitude in our hearts to be loving and kind enough to others the same way God has been to us. After all, we came from the same 'Mother-Father'- let's put it that way. Stop the fighting...stop hating...Love and Be Blessed!
Posted by Tamra Brathwaite @Living to Reach ACME