Can You Love "Them" Anyway?

"Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.’" (Matthew 22:37-39 NIV)

Loving your fellow man... phew, it's not always that easy. Getting out of the way is easy, but loving those people? The nagging neighbor? The teacher who doesn't treat your kids fairly? The politicians who don't act the way you want them to? Maybe even your siblings who hurt you so much you won't talk to them anymore?

friend, recently I was invited to sing in a place where I knew there would be people who have absolutely nothing to do with me, who are even against the way I talk about my faith. They have put stones in my way so many times and hoped I would fall and not get back up, and it is very hard to love them. I'm just going to tell you that up front, in all honesty.

I prayed for this event and these people weeks before, but I was afraid that by now they would have infected other visitors with their negative talk. 

I guess I had not reckoned with God! :-) "Can you still love them?" He asked me. And I said, "No." Haha: "But I will continue to pray for them." That's all God asks for to begin with, but while I was praying for them, God opened my heart and let me look into that of one specific person. I saw pain, hurt, insecurity. I saw her true heart, and it was beautiful.

I realized I was not fighting against her, but that the enemy had used her to cause trouble. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12 NIV) 

We must understand, "People are not the problem."

friend; I encourage you to pray today for the people who make your life difficult. When God asks you, "Have you been able to love your fellow man?" it would be nice to be able to honestly tell Him, "Yes! Thank You for Your help!"

You are a miracle!