Love the Unlovable

Loving someone that is good to you is easy. Loving someone who is positive and upbeat is easy. Loving someone who is mean is hard. Loving someone who doesn’t love you is hard. But Jesus teaches us that we are to love those who don’t necessarily love us. Truthfully, this is hard. When you care for someone who is lost and you get absolutely nothing in return, that is love. People are all walking around with baggage in some way. You may never really know what someone is going through and why they act the way they do. Most of us where a mask that we put on to fool the people around us in the world. You may try to hide things about yourself from everyone else, but who you really are does not surprise God. He knows what each and every one of us goes through. Although that doesn’t give us a good reason to mistreat anyone, it can be understandable. Jesus understands us. He knows how we feel. For many of us, it may not seem to be easy for Jesus to love us but He does anyway…unconditionally. That means, literally with no conditions. He loves us even though He will most likely get nothing in return. Sure, a lot of people claim to love Him also, but if He were to never do another thing for you, how would you feel about Him then? What about a neighbor that argues about everything that you do to your lawn? Someone who doesn’t believe in what you believe in? Or someone who is the complete opposite of you in their political views? Not once has Jesus ever taught to love those who fit in your agenda, in your bubble, agree with your opinions, like the same exact things that you like. While all that makes a relationship with someone smoother, it’s not all that Jesus wants from us.

HE LOVED AND PRAYED FOR THE ONES THAT HE KNEW WERE GOING TO MURDER HIM. HE FORGAVE THEM.

As far as the world is concerned, Jesus had every right to fight back and hate the people that beat Him and mocked Him. But He chose NOT to. He chose to love the unlovable. How incredibly strong.

Sometimes the people that seem the most unlovable are carrying a tremendous amount of pain. Deep down, no one really wants to hurt other people. No one wants to be the person that no one wants to be around. If our perspective on how others act could be less judgmental and more compassionate, we could show so many more what the true love of Jesus is.

Being with Jesus means making no sense to the world.

There is always someone out there that could use the love of Jesus in their life. This doesn’t always mean talking about the Bible. This means showing them what love really is. Being present in someone’s life. Holding the door for someone behind you. Sending a text to a friend you haven’t spoken to for years. Smiling at someone passing you on the street. Telling someone they look nice. You literally could be saving someone’s life by doing any of these small gestures. People can be hurting so bad that they’re considering taking their own life. God can send you past a complete stranger that feels invisible and you compliment them.

A lot of the time our actions are speaking about Jesus louder than any of the words that we speak.

Love is not complicated. Love is not mean. Love is not hard. Getting past the surface of people and seeing what is really behind their struggles is hard. But that is the gift of it all. If you can look past someone’s pain and see how broken their heart is, that is a gift. Not giving up on someone is love. Especially when they have already given up on themselves. Fight for love.

“If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your brother, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?” Matthew 5:46-47

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” John 15:18-19

“Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals- one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:32-34