“Some of the kids that attend our kids club every Saturday are the same kids that are being sold into prostitution by their parents.” ~ Our host in Costa Rica
After hearing those words then spending time with those precious, innocent children, my heart broke. To picture the transaction between the parents and the buyer made me sick to my stomach. Who thinks about buying or selling children in the first place? The thought made me so upset, I literally almost threw up.
Then I thought about the parents. What kinds of parents sell their children? Their own children?!?! Sprouting from my broken heart came anger and resentment. My blood started to boil as I developed a hatred for those parents. When I would see a parent walking next to their kid on the street, I secretly wondered if they were the ones selling them. I secretly wanted to slap some sense into them but what happened was the complete opposite. God smacked some sense into me.
He took me deeper into his heart, the exact thing I had been yearning for. He gave me a little glance through His eyes just how deep and unfailing His love is for His children.
He showed me that He loved those parents. That He always loved them and He always will. His love has no restrictions. Yes, they are sinners. Yes, they fall short of His Glory, but we ALL do and just like those parents we are all sinners. When we sin, we sin against God and God only, NOT each other. If He can forgive and love us than why can’t I do the same for those parents?
God’s love is not distributed according to how clean we live our lives. If we sin less, we don’t get loved more. He loves us all unconditionally and He calls us to do the same. Actually He commands us to do the same.
Love thy neighbor
And I believe we do just that but with restrictions. Naturally, we love the people who love us. We love the ones who are easy to love; the people who help us, care for us, and support us but God calls us to love EVERYONE.
“But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in Heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?”
Matthew 5: 44-46
I didn’t want to love those parents. I was withholding my love from the people that needed it the most. Not anymore! I will love not only those parents who are selling their kids but everyone I come into contact with. I will love them until they can see the love of Jesus shine through. Until they have no choice but to proclaim His mighty name and manifest His Spirit within them. The love of God is so powerful and that’s what compels us.
Our job is to encourage and lift each other up into greatness. What better way to do that but through love? Through love that protects and trusts. Love that always perseveres and NEVER fails! That’s God’s Love.
So what’s holding you back from loving these people? And I’m not just talking about the parents who sell their children. I’m talking about the guy next door who steals from you. I’m talking about your coworker that lies to your face. I’m talking about the difficult men and women who take your heart and crush it. We all have someone in our lives who is difficult to love. Nobody said it was going to be easy but it’s definitely worth it.
