People can be icky, prickly, flawed. I can be icky... prickly... FLAWED. We aren't called to love the behavior of people. We are called to love the people.
Sometimes the behavior of the people I love is terrible. They lose their temper. They make poor choices. They live in perpetuating cycles of dysfunction. But. Still. I. LOVE. Them. Wanna know why? It's not because they are always lovable. Nope. There are two reasons why I love people even when they are unlovable.
1. I love people even when they are unlovable because Christ loves me, and He commands me to love others. When He loves me, it isn't my behavior He's loving. When He loves me, it isn't only when I'm lovable. He. Loves. Me. PERIOD. When He commands me to love others, He doesn't say "love people when they are lovable" He says. Love. People. PERIOD.
This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
1 John 3:11
2. I love people even when they are unlovable because I am unlovable at times too. I lose my crap sometimes. I have unrealistic expectations. I am irritable, ugly, self-centered. I cannot afford to stop loving people when they are unlovable because I am unlovable too!
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
Romans 3:23
Here's the thing folks... we are called to love. The rest is up to God. Let's work on loving more.... all the time. If we could stop focusing on our differences and just LOVE each other, this world would be a much better place.
