God, How Can I Love Them,

When I Don’t Even Like Them?

 

Is there someone in your life that just makes you cringe every time you see them.  Does the words that come out of their mouth make you ask yourself, “Really, are they serious”?  Are you asking God the question above about someone you have to be around?  Well, God has the answer to your questions on how to deal with that person who always seems to work your last nerve.

 

As always, let’s go to the Word to see what God has to say.  In the book of 1 John 4:7-21, God explains how we can love one another, even people we don’t like. 

 

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.  He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.  In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.  In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  No one has seen God at any time.  If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.  By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.  And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.  Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.  And we have known and believed the love that God has for us.  God is love, and he who abides in loves abides in God, and God in him.  Love has been perfected among us in this:  that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment.  But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.  We love Him because He first loved us.  If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?  And this commandment we have from Him:  that he who loves God must love his brother also.”  (emphasis mine)  

 

As we can see from this Scripture, God is a God of love.  He loved us so much, that He sent His only begotten Son to satisfy our sin debt.  If God loves us this much, the least we can do is love one another.  This can only be accomplished by allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us and through us.  He can do what we are incapable of doing. 

 

If we say we love God and can’t love that person who is working our last nerve, the Bible says we are a liar.  There is no way we can love God, and not love that person.  Ask yourself this question, “How loveable am I?”  Remember when you didn’t know the Lord, how loveable do you think you were?  Now that you’ve accepted Christ, you believe you have the right to pick and choose who you will love.  Unacceptable!!!   

 

God is “no respecter of person”.  That means He doesn’t play favorites!  And if we are to follow the example of Christ, then we can’t play favorites either.  If we allow the Holy Spirit to change our eyesight and see people as He does, we will be able to love the unlovable.  So many times, we focus on the natural temporary things instead of the eternal.  2 Corinthians 4:17-18 says, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.  For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal”.  Stop focusing on how that person makes you cringe and ask God to change your vision to see them as He does.  And while you’re asking God to change your vision, ask Him why He is allowing this person in your life who is working your last nerve.  Just maybe, He wants to burn off of you some more flesh of bad attitude, impatience, ego, self-righteousness, etc…

 

Remember God is working out His character in us--from the inside out.  And He will allow people and situations to expose our ugliness so that it can be crucified.  So, when that person begins to drive you crazy, pray and ask God to change your attitude, so you can show them the love of God.  Then an amazing thing always seems to happen, that person who got on your nerves will bother you less and less because God is working on you.  You will be able to exhibit a Godly love that will confound that person.  He’ll deal with the other person in His time and His way.