LOVING THE UNLOVEABLE
February is the official month of LOVE! We tend to make an effort this particular time of year to express our love in someway to those around us that we love and adore.
Love is not something you feel. It’s something you do.
–David Wilkerson
What would you think if someone told you that they loved you but never did anything that expressed this feeling? It would not take long before you realized that the “feeling” of love was merely empty words or just a fleeting moment of emotion.
Love is not just an emotional feeling. Real love is something that is lived out.
ROMANS 5:8 “God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
God was not content to just tell us that He loved us – He showed His love in a powerful way!
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Love was shown when Jesus Christ came to earth and became one of us;
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love was shown when He touched and healed many people;
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love was shown when He pointed to the sin in our lives that would destroy us.
But the ultimate expression of love came from God when Jesus Christ gave His life on Calvary for people who did not even care about Him. He died for those who seemed uncaring, unwilling and unloving.
Our natural tendency is to love only those who love us, certainly to be asked to love someone who is unlovable would be asking a lot. But look at what Jesus said…
“I am giving you a new commandment, Love each other.” JOHN 13:34
Love is a choice.
It is simply our choice to love others.
Choosing to love is going after the heart of God.
MARK 12:30 -31 “Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love others as yourself.”
While on the cross, Christ showed us exactly what it really means to love without limits, expecting nothing in return. He showed us that real love sometimes cost something.
Loving someone who seems unlovable may cost you something. It may cost you time, money, or even a change of heart. Loving our enemies or those that appear unlovable is a commandment from Christ…
“We are to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us.” LUKE 6:27
Jesus has given us the perfect example to follow when it comes to loving others. If we want to love, we need to be prepared to demonstrate our love in a selfless action.
WHO HAVE YOU NEGLECTED TO LOVE?
~a co-worker?
~a neighbor?
~the check out clerk at Walmart?
~your rude, obnoxious and unsaved uncle?
Don’t let this month of LOVE go by without reaching out to those who are “unlovable” in your life.
They need love.
It is your choice.
Dear Lord, help me to express my love to all those around me, especially those that seem to agitate me, irritate me and who seem totally unlovable. Give me a sensitive heart towards my enemies, remind me to pray for them and show care and concern for them just as You have done for me, even though I did not deserve it! Thank you for choosing to love me and enable me to choose love today. AMEN.
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Let me add a great big amen.
That’s a great post, Laurie!
Thank you for sharing this today and reminding us what true love is…I have learned this lesson (and continue to learn it) as the years go by. The Lord has taught me so much about love by his wonderful example.
Hi Laurie,
This is a great post and the scripture verses perfect. Thank you. Great way to start my morning. Hugs.
Oh, yowza. I got a bunch of extended family in town. This post helped with that. ’nuff said.
Incredible insight. “If we want to love, we need to be prepared to demonstrate our love in a selfless action.” Help me, Lord.
Sometimes we don’t stop to think those who may irritate us need us to love them and you are right it is a choice not a feeling.
Reaching out to the unloveables in my life. Hmmm….. at first I thought, no, not me! I love everyone! And then it was like the Lord said, “Oh really?” And then a picture popped in my mind of someone I know that’s extremely unloveable. Oh Lord, if you want me to show love, you are going to have to do it through me!
I think as much as we want to say we love everyone, we don’t always show that love. Love is a choice. Even in the toughest of times we are to extend it, even if it must remain at an arms length for our safety’s sake. Awesome devotional, Laurie. Really convicted me and touched my heart. Gave me love anew for those I didn’t realize I still loved.
we’re learning about love at church. the first message was that we have to receive God’s love before we can give it away. Oh how many times I have tried to give away something I have not gone to God to fill me with first. I’m so thankful that His fountain of love is always available and never runs out.
“Real love is something that is lived out.”
This is so true! Thanks for sharing.
Beautiful thoughts for this month and advice for daily living.
I am struggling right now with knowing I need to love someone (who lives with me) that is hard to love. Three things I’ve been reminded of from your post.
1. Love is a choice
2. Pray for my “enemy”
3. Do good to them. (Love is an action!)
May the Lord help me as I endeavor to obey Him in this. Thanks for your post!