Advice For The Christian Girl

Loving Others

Loving Others
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Mark 12:31
ESV
31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

This is a command given by Jesus Himself. We're told to love others as we love ourselves. A heart that is filled with knowing they are loved by God, have been died for and are redeemed can love others more selflessly.

Someone once said that be the person you wish people were to you.

That quote is so powerful. Our thoughts mainly are about ourselves our future, our feelings, our issues, our comfortability and our situations. We focus on how things mainly affect ourselves and our world. We don't spend time meditating on how awful someone's life is compared to how we meditate on our own.

We see the brokenness within ourselves. When we make mistakes or do wrong, we see our sin and brokenness. We recognise we're sinners in need of saving. We see that we are broken human beings but sometimes we fail to see that in others.

Matthew 7:1-5
NKJV
Do Not Judge
7 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’, and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

We fail to see that in others because we stop viewing them as who we are. The same way we aren't perfect and make mistakes is the same way others do. The same way we have problems and issues is the same as others do. The same way we grew up maybe in a situation and making many mistakes is the same way others do.

We are so quick to judge. We watch others lives and their decisions and are quick to call them evil. We see how others have hurt us and harmed us but we don't realise that we are just as broken as everyone else.

I started loving people a lot more when I stopped viewing them for what they did and who they are. That these are people, made in God's image that God would leave the 99 for. These are people that desire to have a relationship with him. These are people who God forgives just like you and me. These are people who make mistakes and are lost. These are sheep's without a shepherd. These are souls that are lost. People who are blind. These humans are being attacked by the enemy constantly and unlike they can't see that. They can't see the spirit of jealousy causing them to hurt you so they can fill their insecurities. They can't see the hate the enemy is planting in them so they can make terrible decisions that ruin the lives of others. They can't see the ignorance that they begin to do things that is immoral. They weren't brought up in a Christian household to even know who God is. These people don't know that there is freedom for their addictions or there is another way of living but unlike them, we can see.

We have been redeemed, freed, convicted and are now walking in sanctification. Unlike them, we came to repentance. Unlike them, we felt convicted and turned from sin. Unlike them, we began to see sin for what it truly is.

And that's what God saw. When He looked down on the earth we were still sinners. He saw our mistakes, our brokenness, our ignorance, our self-deceptions, how the enemy was manipulating situations, how we were hurting ourselves and others. He saw that we couldn't save ourselves.

He didn't love us because we're loveable. He didn't love us because we were okay to love. He loved us because He is love. His love isn't based on our performance or else none of us would even be here. He loves us because He made us and love is His nature. Despite how far we're from Him, He chose to love us.

Love isn't just a feeling but a choice. I chose to love the people who have hurt me so badly. I chose to overlook the little annoying things some people do. I chose to let go of what people have done to me that broke me because I know the very awful things I did to others. I've lied, cheated, stolen, deceived and harmed many people in my life and to stand here today as a servant of God, I know for sure I'm not here because I deserved anything. I chose to love because I wonder how God can love someone like me. I might not always feel like loving others but I realise that I have done nothing to earn God's love. He willingly chose and made the decision. To love us out of His nature. And so, with that love Jesus showed us, the same way I recognise His chosen love for me, I chose to love others.

The same way He saw my humanity and brokenness, I chose to love others. The same way He saw me as broken and ignorant. So I will see others. In the same way, I deserve His wrath because of the many bad things I've done against Him. So when others hurt me badly I will choose to let it go.

Is it easy? No!! But that's why we have the Holy Spirit. He helps us to show love. He gives us self-control when needed. He gives us patience when needed. He opens our eyes when we're blinded by our hurt to see the darkness that took over someone else.

Don't mistake though forgiveness with forgetting. We need to be wise, if you know someone hasn't been saved or has the nature to betray or do harm to others, you don't need to be their friend or hang around them. You need wisdom and discernment but we shouldn't trust just anyone. We forgive everyone but we don't trust everyone. God loves everyone it doesn't mean that God accepts our sins and our rebellion.

As believers, we will be known for our love for others because while everyone else is waiting for others or earning and desire their love. Just like our saviour, we don't need a reason but rather we decide to love because of the love we received. The love I receive from God is far beyond anything I deserve and so I'll reflect this beautiful story of love by loving others even when they don't deserve it. For God didn't wait till I was loveable but He loved because love is who He is.

And how blessed we are to have a God who loves by Grace.

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Today I challenge to go before God in prayer and ask Him for a heart filled with love. Where love is, there is forgiveness, peace and selflessness.

Ask God to give you a heart that pours love unto others. That the love you show ministers to the hearts of others.

And if you don't have a scripture you can read today and even for those who do. You can read 2 Corinthians 3.

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