No wonder it’s the greatest of all commandments. It’s the most CHALLENGING, even as simple as it may sound.
Read this narration
Our Tendency
We want to love those who love us and engage ONLY with those who are in favor with us or those we are in favor with.
JESUS
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” (Matthew 5:44).
Our Tendency
We give, and we are proud of how generous we have become. We want the whole world to praise our good deeds, or at least we want to hear a “thank you” from the receiver. We keep the best stuff to ourselves. The things we don’t like, will never use, will never wear, or will never eat—that’s what we give out. Or well, the stuff we or our loved ones are tired of using will do.
JESUS
Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on” (Mark 12:43-44). She gave her everything; she gave her best.
“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full” (Matthew 6:2).
Our Tendency
This person has hurt me many times. I will forgive, but I will no longer count them as a friend. I will no longer check on them as I used to. Life is too short to waste my time on negative people. I don’t think this person will ever change. “He/She is a desperate case.” Only God can handle this kind of person. As for me, I can’t. “I no be God oooh, abeg.”
JESUS
If you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15).
Wait a minute, what?
But honestly, people, how many times do we fail God and how many times does He forgive us? How many times are we to forgive a single person? Seventy-seven times seven. I am not the best at math, but honestly, this number sounds like infinity.
He inspired Paul to write: “Love is patient, love keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5). Hmm, challenging, right?
Our Tendency
How dare you insult me? Do you know who I am? How can they look down on someone like me? Do they know how precious I am? (You can’t help but fuel a quarrel. You want to be respected, you can’t stand any mistreatment. You always want to be right or to have the final word, which makes it hard not to jump into arguments most of the time. You are gentle, or try to be, but if someone steps on your toes, your mouth releases a strange fire—no need for details here).
JESUS
I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also; if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well; and if someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two” (Matthew 5:39-41).
He inspired Paul to write: “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8).
The list can go on and on
We live in a culture where we have embraced popular sayings like: “Trop bon, trop con.” Meaning, the kinder you get with people, the more stupid you appear in their eyes. Well, here is my answer to the author of this proverb: I will be kind because that’s my new nature and I can’t help it. If people see it as stupidity, then sadly their misconception will have them miss a lot of what love has to offer.
I would just like to encourage someone.
In as much as the kind of LOVE (the higher way) Jesus is calling us to walk in is challenging, it is completely possible to tread that road as long as we choose to walk in the Spirit of God and not rely on our own abilities. When we surrender our being and our pride to Him, He will shine His glorious LOVE through us—His sacrificial LOVE that gave everything.
If we find ourselves struggling with LOVING people as ourselves, it is because there is still PRIDE deep inside of us that needs to be dealt with. Who can teach us about LOVE, if not God Himself? God is LOVE (1 John 4:8).
Let’s turn to Him, people, and grow in LOVE.
Many blessings and more grace for the race.
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