Loving People

God tells us loving people is His second greatest commandment. Loving Him is the only thing bigger than this.
So why is it so hard for us?
We want to put conditions on this love. We will only love those who are worthy, or those who are Christians, those who we like, those who love us back, those who don't offend us, those who respect us....
This IS NOT what God commanded!!

He doesn't place conditions on His love to each of us. So neither do we get to pick and chose who we are going to show love to. We need to love them all. The offensive, the rude, the judgmental, the proud, the snooty, the stinky, the mean....they all need love! The ones who we don't want to show love to are probably the ones who NEED to see that love more than anyone else. It is OUR job if we are truly followers of Christ to give it to them. If not us; then who?

It is easy to love our friends, our families (well-sometimes that can be hard, too), but we aren't called to love only them.

What keeps us from following this commandment?

I think this is the number one thing holding is back is other people. We wonder what others will think of is of we truly show love to people who don't fit inside the parameters of our own social circle.

Sure---we can DO for the poor. We can PRAY for the sinners.
But, many of us end it there.
That's not LOVE!! To love people you need to treat them as yourself. Treat them as you want to be treated. If I was struggling---I wouldn't just want a meal---I'd want someone to share it with. If I'm caught in a cycle of sin---I dont want someone to pray for me---I want someone to talk to. Are you opening your hearts as well as your wallets? Are you opening your arms or are you just paying lip service?
Why do you care if your neighbor sees you talking to the "outcast" of your development? Why do you care if your boss wonders about your "social circle" when he sees you stop and say hello? Are their opinions really more important to you than obeying the Word of God?

Love is an action word; but TO SHOW LOVE REQUIRES MORE THAN JUST ACTION---IT REQUIRES YOUR HEART.
You can't show love without actions, but you cannot love without opening your heart. I'm not saying that it's not a great deed to contribute money to an organization. There are lots of worthy causes out there that need the cash. But if that is all you are doing; you aren't following through on God's command. He didn't ask us to give to others, He asked us to LOVE others.
Don't just go through the motions of reaching out so you can pat yourself on the back
and feel good about your great deed. Love people--even the unlovable--as if they were YOU.

Another reason many of us don't love others because we are scared: we are scared we will be rejected, we are scared we will get hurt, we are scared we will hurt someone else, we are scared someone we reach out to will hurt our loved ones, we are scared it will be awkward...we are just Plain Old AFRAID.

I'm sorry if saying so offends you--but this isn't a ""fear issue"---this is a control issue!
You want YOU to pick and choose who you get to love.
You think you are ENTITLED to Choose who you love and who you don't. Basically; you think you and your fears are bigger and more important than God and His COMMANDment to love. That's right---He's not ASKING you to love he is commanding you! Your sense of entitlement is taking precedence over the words of our Almighty God.
If this resounds with you, or if it offends you...you've been letting the enemy whisper in your ear and you have been allowing Satan instead of God guide your choices.

You don't get to choose who to love and who not to. We are called to love one another. Period. You need to love, accept and forgive people as God loves, accepts and forgives you. If you aren't doing this out of fear of getting hurt, you are making a statement that you and your fears are more important than the God's kingdom.

I'm not saying you can't set boundaries. But unforgiveness is not a boundary. It is a prison. Fear is not a boundary. It is a roadblock.

Yes! You might get hurt....but God is bigger than that hurt and He will heal that hurt. The gains for His kingdom and for your heart will be expanded in ways you can't even imagine.


Remember:
1-Love God
2-Love others (all of them)
3-God takes care of the rest

These are the only things that really matter.