How to Love Difficult People

It’s no secret that Jesus loves people, and that he wants us to love people too! In fact, it’s a command. Like, the greatest commandment. He says to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. But, what happens when loving your neighbor starts to interfere with your comfort, schedule, and plans? What if I told you that loving your neighbor is about much more than loving when it’s easy, loving those like us, and loving those who can love us well in return? If you’ve ever found yourself feeling a little bogged down by other people and wondering just how much “loving your neighbor” actually requires, you’re not alone!The bible is pretty straight forward - Love God with all your heart, passion, energy, and thoughts…AND, love your neighbor as yourself. But who exactly is your neighbor? Sometimes we get busy tending to our responsibilities and getting to the next thing – even if it’s a good thing, that we can forget to slow down, stop, and see the people right in front of us. Love isn’t just being nice—it’s being proactive! Choosing to look for ways to give. Giving the benefit of the doubt, rather than judging motives. It’s loving the unlovely, and getting messy—putting our “heart and soul into every activity…as though you are doing it for the Lord himself” and knowing that as we “give generously…it will be given back generously--shaken down to make room for more!”. So take a minute today and look around you. Who has God put in your proximity that you can show love to? Who has it been challenging to love? Ask Him what it looks like for you to show them love. By choosing to see others, and asking the Holy Spirit what he has planned, we can learn to love our neighbors just like Jesus loves us!