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I’m examining loving people we don’t really like so much. And we’ve seen God’s kind of love—agape love—is not based on feelings, but it is an action. Our job is to learn to act in loving ways toward people, even the ones we don’t like.
A prerequisite to developing love actions toward unlikable people is to pray for them. Sincerely, regularly pray for their welfare. Ask God to show you what love actions to take toward them. And pray for them. . . a lot! Jesus taught us to pray for our enemies, and those who despitefully use us.
Then, as you think about a certain person you don’t like, decide which love actions would be appropriate for that person. Maybe it’s a lot of patience? Or compassion or endurance? Then set your will to act with those love actions toward that person.
A good friend shared how God put her in a job with people she just didn’t like very much. She applied for a promotion, looking forward to moving away from those people. The selection process narrowed down to her and one other person, but she didn’t get the job. And at first, she was angry at not being selected, until she realized God had left her in that job to learn how to love those people she didn’t like.
She began what she called Project Love, and she looked for ways to develop relationships with those unlikable people. Her method was to invite them to have lunch with her, one per week. And she began to build bridges to these people and develop relationships with them. Of course, in doing that, she discovered they had burdens and problems, and they discovered she was a caring person. A few months later, she got that promotion she wanted, but she continues to keep in touch with those unlikable people she has now learned to love—and indeed to like, too. Several of them have turned to her for help in troubled times.
What a good idea—Project Love. Maybe you could start to find ways to reach out to those unlikable people with the love of Jesus Christ that is within you. What miracles we could see in our relationships if we’d do this more and more.