Loving fellow believers is one of the most significant responsibilities and often the most challenging. It's easy to love those who like us and reciprocate with kindness. Scripture does not call us to selective love; it calls us to Christlike love. Jesus moved towards us while we were still sinners, broken, difficult, and overlooked, and we are called to do the same, even to those whom we feel do not deserve our love.
Throughout scripture, we are assured of God’s love and reminded that God loved us so much that Christ died for us. Love does not simply make us feel good; it is meant to motivate us to respond in a way that emulates God’s goodness. When we encounter someone who is hard to love, it becomes a sacred and teachable opportunity.
L.B. Cowman states in “Streams in the Desert,” “God’s voice is directed at the ear of love and true love is intent upon hearing even the faintest whisper.” So when we want to correct or say something to someone in a conversation, and we feel the gentle restraint of the Holy Spirit, heed the restraint.
Reflecting on past disagreements, I have realized that when I pause instead of reacting, I give the Holy Spirit space to calm my emotions and prevent damaged relationships. We love by choosing patience, giving someone the benefit of the doubt, and being gentle instead of harsh. When we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us, we will have the power to speak the truth with love and grace even under the most challenging situations. This love causes us to respond lovingly to others (1 John 4:21) because we are so deeply loved by God.
Lord, thank you for your incredible love, and teach us to love others in a way that will bring glory to you. Help us to respond with tenderness, kindness, patience, and love when we can’t do it on our own. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
Throughout the day, listen to For KING and COUNTRY -The Proof of Your Love
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