Walking In Love

Loving others the way God wants us to is not easy all the time. But if we are committed to pleasing our Savior, then we have to obey this command.  Yes I said command, because it is not a suggestion.

Matthew 22:36-40 NLT

“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” Jesus replied, “‘You must love the lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

So you see it is a command and not something that is an option for us as followers of Jesus Christ. But let's look at these verses a little closer, and in them we can see the key to giving us the ability to love people who are not so easy to love.
First thing is to love the Lord with all our hearts. So you see if we give God our hearts completely,  He will give us the love that we need to love others who don't love us.

John 15:4-5 NLT

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

So this is the good news if we stay in fellowship with the Lord, we will be able to walk in love. But as this scripture in John says without Him we can do nothing. So loving the people who are unloving to us is possible with God.

Philippians 4:13 NLT

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

We can love others who are difficult to love with God's help.
And remember if we do not walk in love, we only hurt ourselves.  Because God can not answer our prayers if we are not forgiving others and loving them unconditionally.

Mark 11:25 NLT

But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too. ”

So when we are dealing with difficult people when can ask our loving Savior to give us the love we need to overlook what they are doing and love them, just like He loves us.

1 John 4:16-17 NLT

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.

So be encouraged when dealing with difficult people and remember we may be their only chance to see what true love really is. It is the Love of God that draws sinners to Jesus Christ.