Love is not always the first choice for some people. I know it is not always mine. That is something I learned in the Dominican. The Lord showed me that I withheld love from people. Why? Call it whatever you want, insert whatever excuse you want, but the truth is simple: it’s prideful. Not loving people is not of God. EVERYONE is worthy of love. I realize that is a huge statement. What about the pimps? What about people that don’t think like you? What about people that murder? What about the person that hates you?
Yes. EVERYONE.
It says in Job that the same God who created me, created you too.
“Did not He who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?” Job 31:15
So guess what that means? We share the same Maker. EVERYONE shares the same Maker. So with a simple math equation, we conclude that indeed, EVERYONE is equal. EVERYONE is worthy of love. Jesus died for ALL of us.
Now, this is not quite what I wanted to write about when I sat down to write this blog, but I think it ties in with the point I am trying to make. The purpose for this blog is to write about loving, even when it’s hard. So with everything said above, everyone is worthy of love…so love them. Even when it’s hard, and even when it’s not your first choice.
You will most likely need to call on the Lord to help you with this, because He will teach you how to love. After all, He is the inventor of love. He will help you to love people like He loves people, because He is the inventor of them too. He will help you to see others the way that the He does.
Matthew 5: 43-48 pretty much says exactly what I am trying to say in this blog, but in a more concise way. How much easier is it to love those that love you? Think about that. That is easy. Incredibly easy. Generally speaking: You love your mom, because she loves you. You love your best friend because she loves you. You love your husband because he loves you. Easy. Most of the time that is, but again generally speaking 😉 So what happens when you come across someone that has wronged you? Or maybe they don’t have the same personality as you do?
That was the case for me with my team. We had different personalities. And I allowed those differences to affect the way I loved them. That’s dumb. Really dumb. I judged first. And thankfully the Lord showed me truth. He gave me a nice pat on the rear and showed me the error of my thoughts and actions. He helped to show me the amazing girls that were alongside me, serving the same Jesus.
Who am I to judge someone? Who am I to withhold love from a human being? That’s prideful. That is me thinking way too much of myself and less of God. That needs to be reversed.
The month prior I had learned to choose God every day. I still continued to do that. Each morning, I awoke and I chose God, but it expanded. I started to choose my team as well. I chose to love them. And the Lord began to teach me and show me things about them that I would never have known or valued in that person. My team and I are all on the same side, fighting for the same God, serving the same God. There is no need for war amongst one another.
My team
So I challenge you reader to love as your first choice, and to not allow misjudgment hinder your love for that person. Love even those that are hard to love. Because in the words of someone whom I have absolutely no idea, I just know that I can’t take credit for them:
“We may not think alike to love alike.”
Love first. Judge never.
Until the next adventure,
Teej
