Why do we pick and choose who we show love to?
Time and time again, we, as Christians, preach about love. Giving love to others. Loving others around us. Loving those in our community. Loving the needy, the poor, the bankrupt.
But I bet if we all looked at our lives--we would have people that we choose not to love. We choose to let our pride, or our fear, or our hurts stop us from doing what we are called to do as followers of Christ.
God doesn't give us an option on who we are to reach out to. He doesn't say that we should just love the good people, and not the liars. He doesn't say that we should just love the pure of heart, and not the cheaters and thieves. He doesn't say that love only goes out to those who love us back.
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 13:34-35
"Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins."
1 Peter 4:8
LOVE COVERS A MULTITUDE OF SINS. Just let that sink it...
There is someone I know that God is calling me to reach out to--and with all that I am--I do not want to do it. Oh, I don't want to. And I don't really know how. But I can either sit back and ignore Him, believing this person has no good inside of them. Or I can remember that this person was created by God, which in itself IS GOOD. That because God loves them, so should I. That even the darkest of sins are covered by God's love and by Jesus' blood.
I know that loving some people is NOT easy by any means. But that is where God steps in, and softens our hearts. He gives us His eyes to see past the bad, and to see a person's heart. I would hate to know that someone didn't know Christ because I was too prideful not to reach out to them.
The truth of the matter is that I am no better than my worst enemies. Sin is sin, no matter how we try to justify it in our minds. And I am so thankful that God decided to love me despite of all the bad in me. Praise God for His grace.
Maybe that ounce of grace, that little bit of love that you show someone else would change their life.
Love and blessings,
