Me too. Ha ha. I know that I am talking a lot lately about the same subject. It is what I am studying right now...so stay with me. I wait on God to reveal what I am to share..so there must be some others out there struggling with this too.
Love the unlovable. How does that statement instantly make you feel? A bit uncomfortable? Maybe annoyed? Are the excuses already starting to form in your head? Well...you are not alone.
The most difficult thing about loving the unlovable is that we must go against what comes naturally. It is natural to be selfish. It is natural to think only of ourselves first. It is natural to dismiss the un-natural compassioin that we feel towards a difficult person.
But, aren't we called to be a peculiar people? We are called to let those sinful natures that we are born with...die to become alive in Christ. We are called to go against the flow. To go against the sea of sin...stand alone if we must...to love that impossible person. The rude. The errogant. The hurtful. The selfish. The prideful. The conceited. The lost. When it all comes down to it...we are all lost, deserving of the same grace and mercy.
It says this in Matthew 5:38-48 (NIV) "38 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' 39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. 43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."
Go back to verses 46 and 47. What is it about loving those who love you that seperates us from those who have not received Christ? Nothing. We are not better than non-believers, but we are called to live differently, and to be noticable as believers in Christ. Different because our love is not on condition. And different because we let that love cover, hide, erase the multitude of sins that make others seem so unlovable.
If someone who was one of the links to your salvation...found you too unlovable to waste their time on...what would your eternity look like? As my pastor says..."Be weird." =) Be a Jesus Freak...and love it!!
What timing. Yes. And I feel pulled in so many directions. I struggle daily with knowing whether my time should be spent in nurturing these types of relationships or if I need to recognize where it is an unhealthy relationships/create boundaries. For me, the big issue is boundaries. I spent many years without, then built huge walls after years of hurt... now I find myself working to discern rather than react - run or save the day...
ReplyDelete