Jesus never promised loving others would be easy. In fact, He specifically told us that love would often be challenged most in times of friction, misunderstanding, and hurt. But His instruction is clear and unequivocal all the same: love anyway.
Love the person who disagrees with you. Love the person who misunderstands you. Love the person who may never say they are sorry.
This love isn’t passive or weak. It’s brave. It’s anchored in grace and in something greater than your feelings. It’s the fruit of a heart that has been molded by mercy.
Love anyway, because whenever we love others in spite of being mistreated, we enter into the holy space of breaking the cycle of bitterness. When we love anyway, we allow room for redemption in others and within ourselves.
Loving others doesn’t mean allowing people to walk all over you. It means choosing not to carry that pain around like a badge of honor. Jesus loved with a love that overcame bad behavior and met people right where they were.
So, when we love others that way, we become evidence that love still wins.
If you’re reading this, no doubt you can see the face of someone who has been hard for you to love. Begin praying for that person daily. Ask God to bless them. If you commit to this, I can assure you—you’ll be the one who receives the greatest blessing.
In Christ,
James