Don't Hate. Appreciate.

What do you want to be known for? When people think of you, what do you want them to think of? How fashionable you are or how you were always up to date on the coolest movies, TV shows, and music or how you could always afford nice things? I know that I want people to think of me a little differently. I want to be thought of as someone who could make anyone laugh even if they were having a horrible day or someone who took care of those who couldn’t take care of themselves or someone who always spoke kindly of others, even those that frustrated and annoyed him. When the author of 1st John, who was a close friend of Jesus, spoke about what the Son of God’s followers would be known for, He gave one simple word: love. John didn't say that people would know we were Christ's followers by: how many Christian t-shirts that we own or how many hours of Bible study and meditation that we log or how many worship songs we know or even how many people we invite to church or how many service projects or acts of service we commit. Although many of those things are forms of expressing love towards God and others (okay, maybe not the t-shirt thing), the word of God explains that Christians will be recognized by the way that we love each other.

So, how are you doing at loving others? I think most of us would say that we do a pretty good job of loving those who we like and enjoy being around, but what about the people who annoy and frustrate you? It’s often hard to identify the difference between those whose habits and actions get on our nerves or anger us, and those who we actually hate. It’s easy to look at people like Hitler, Saddam Hussein, and murderers as those who we need to be careful of hating; however, sometimes our enemies and those that we hate are actually those who we allow to frustrate us to the point that we are disgusted by them or we can’t stand to be around them. If you find yourself unable to think or speak about a person without becoming angry or saying a hurtful comment, you probably hate that person. Whenever they come around you choose to get away from them, not because it’s healthier for you to be removed from their presence, but because you want to show your disgust for them. If every time they speak you look at it as an opportunity to demean or humiliate them, then you probably hate this person. Christ didn’t call us to merely tolerate our enemies, but to love as He loved us.

Now I’m not saying that people can’t annoy you or that it’s a sin to not enjoy someone’s company. In fact, the evil actions of someone should infuriate you, but you should still be able to approach that person with love. As you read the four gospels of Jesus, it’s impossible to miss the fact that He was often frustrated with religious leaders, and we see him reprimand them for the actions. However, you never read an occasion where Jesus sees a religious leader among Him, and He says, “guys, let’s go over here. Those nerds, the Pharisees, are back.” Jesus always corrected sinful behavior, but He always did it in love and in a way that wouldn’t demean the person. In fact, there are many occasions where His own disciples frustrate Him, yet Jesus never kicks them out, even when they betray Him. This is what set Jesus apart from the religious teachers of His day, His ability to love everyone. Not because He was hip or current, but because He loved everyone, even those who hated Him. That’s what Jesus intended for His followers. That we would be set apart from the world, not by our modern worship services or how hip we are, but that we would be different in the way that we loved. That everyone who came in contact with a Christian would feel the love of the God who saves.

So, how are you doing at loving others? Love is patient: do you take time out of your schedule for others or are you just focused on what you want? Love is kind: are you known for your words of encouragement and acts of kindness? Love does not envy or boast: are you able to rejoice when others succeed, instead of being so focused on your own accomplishments to the point that you let it bother you? Love is not proud: do you humble yourself daily, and make yourself a servant to everyone? Love is not rude or self-seeking: do you lift others up, instead of pushing them aside in search of what you desire? Love is not easily angered: do you refuse to let the little, inconsequential things that others do cause you to get angry with them? Love keeps no record of wrongdoings: are you able to set aside self-serving grudges, in order to extend bridges of love and forgiveness to others. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth: are you known as someone who weeps when evil actions go unanswered, yet celebrates when good triumphs? Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres, and love never fails.

Do these statements reflect your life? What would the world think of Christians, if this was true of every church? If the church was a place where everyone who was outcast by society or treated as unworthy by the world was lifted up in the church, would the world see us differently? Jesus calls us to love our neighbor as ourselves, and to love our enemies, is that true of you? It’s time for the church to reflect the image and love of its Savior. The writer of 1st John explains that “if we love one another, God lives in us, and His love is made complete in us”. Are you working to make the love of the Father complete or are you tearing it down?

Experience This
Spend time in prayer with God, thanking Him for His love, and repenting for the times that you have not extended that love to others.

Discuss This
What steps do you need to take, in order to begin loving those that you have a hard time loving?

Apply This
Do at least one loving thing for someone that is hard this week.