Loving Others
A parent's heart is especially warmed when we see our children getting along, helping each other or supporting each other. But let's face it, sometimes two children with the same parents who grew up in the same home, are as different as night and day. From a parent's perspective, there is something especially sweet about those two very different people, choosing to love each other despite their differences, because they are family. They choose to focus on the good in each other, and on their common bonds.
However, sometimes siblings focus on their differences, or they are overly competitive, or jealous of one another, and they think finding a way through those things is too complicated to attempt a better relationship. That's hard on a parent, because we love each of them so much. We see our beloved's or our own personal qualities in each of them, we see their potential, and it's hard to understand how they don't see and appreciate those things in each other.
God is our Heavenly Father, and we are his children. He sees Himself in each of us, because we all bear His image. He gave us various talents and passions, to accomplish His own purpose. He loves us and all of the unique things about us, because He knows why he made us that way and the potential that we hold. He chooses to see the good in us, even when we are not lovable. He knows the truth about us.
Don't you know it hurts our Father's heart when he sees us focusing on our differences, judging each other, avoiding each other and choosing not to seek relationship because it's "too complicated," or because we're too proud? Our love for some people is easy, almost automatic. But we can't connect that way with everyone. As it is described in 1 Corinthians 13, love is more of an intentional action, than it is an easy feeling:
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
What I notice first in this passage, is that Godly love for another person has nothing to do with them, and everything to do with my approach to them. It is the choice I make in how I proactively treat people, regardless of how they treat me, where they are in life, how they look, or any other difference there may be between us. Sometimes it will be easy and sometimes it will require the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, but it will always show God's abundant love to the world. It will set us apart as belonging to something bigger than anything the world sees as wise or worthwhile, or even safe.
To do this, we must give priority to our common purpose as his followers over our own preferences or fears. In John 15:12, Jesus says to love each other as he has loved us. He loves us where we are and guides us forward. That's the kind of love we're called to have for each other and for all people. We are His. We are all His. He wants us to let the worldly point of view fall by the wayside, and see the potential in each other, see the good in each other...see the God in each other.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for loving us as we are. Please remind us of that, and give us your patience and compassion to proactively love others where they are as well. In that love, may we guide each other closer to you. Please forgive us when we focus on our differences or on negative qualities in one another, and then allow our relationships to harden or even dissolve. We know it hurts your heart not only because you see the good in each of us, but because it hinders our mission to show the world your love.
Transform our hearts so that we can see all of your children, through your eyes. May we see and love the good, the potential, the "You," in each one.
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