It’s only natural to love those who love us and hate those who hate us. But Christ calls us to a higher standard – to love as he loves, which doesn’t wait on the other before acting.Of course, it’s easy to like those who like us. And it’s not difficult to bless them and bring them good when the relationship is going well.
But even the best of relationships have difficult days. And we must often choose to love even when we don’t feel like it.
And this is all the truer for those we’re not particularly fond of.
Christ died for us while we were still in our sins. And even while on the cross, he prayed for forgiveness for the very ones who hung him there.
He shows us his love is not conditioned on the recipient. It’s simply the expression of his very self.
And he is the example we’re to follow.
This doesn’t mean we turn a blind eye to sin or don’t hold others accountable.
It’s true, we don’t hold on to past wrongs and we stand ever ready to forgive. But there are still times we must directly address issues and walk away whenever necessary.
And loving doesn’t mean we will agree on everything or become best friends. We choose love despite our disagreements, loving even our enemies.
In the end, our practice of love is learning to bless and bring good to others because of what Christ has done for us. And it’s not based on the merits of the other.
This is a high call – taking God’s grace to fully live out. But it’s our part to play in being light in a dark world.
Learn to love as Christ – a love based on who he has called you to be and not conditioned on the other.
Photo by Junior REIS on Unsplash
