When Love Is Hard, Love Anyway [Short Bursts of Encouragement]
I need to love… I need to love… I need to love…
The chant continued as I argued with myself and God. “But this person doesn’t deserve my love.” “My heart isn’t there; it’d be a lie.”
It’s not the first time I needed to remind myself to love someone. It likely won’t be the last.
Reminder for when love is hard. Click on the image to download/print it.
When Love Is Hard
Loving another human being is hard. Sinful person plus sinful person doesn’t equal easy relationships.
The call to love well in the midst of crazy schedules, different personalities, and unexpected happenings is a high calling indeed.
It’s much easier when the person earns our affection by acting appropriately, saying the right thing, or completing the proper task at the proper time.
But we are not asked to love only when the other person is deserving.
No. We are commanded to love everyone with the love we’ve received undeserved from God. We should love anyway.
If love was reserved only for those who deserved it, whoa, I shudder to think where I’d be!
But how do we love if our hearts don’t feel it? What do we do when love is hard?
We lead with our actions. We piggy back off God’s supply and ask for His love to pour out.
We act out love, over and over. Our hearts will catch up. And we will be blessed for it.
Love Anyway!
We love because He first loved us. Even though we seldom (if ever) deserve it.
Love today. Regardless of whether you feel it, love anyway. Love because you’ve been loved, firstly and perfectly.
Love until your feelings follow suit.
We are not asked to love only when the other person is deserving. No. We are commanded to love everyone with the love we've received undeserved from God. So love anyway ... until your feelings follow suit. Click To Tweet
“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35
Reflection: What do you do when love is hard? How do you love when you don’t feel like it?
Today I’m joining Holley Gerth for her Coffee for Your Heart Wednesday link-up and Rachel Wojnarowski for Whimsical Wednesdays. Click on the images to read more linked-up posts. So much wonderful encouragement!
By His Grace,
Julie
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Hello, I'm Julie, an imperfect wife and mother of four. Life in this broken world is not always easy. Yet, joy can be found in each day through the grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I find it's easy for our day's blessings to get lost in its happenings. But God's "mercies never end" (Lamentations 3:22) and His "grace is sufficient" (2 Corinthians 12:9).
May the posts and pages on this site offer you a measure of peace and encouragement.
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Good encouragement. Loving people is not always easy!
No it’s not, Lisa, but what a blessing when we do it right!
Thank you for this post. It is such a good reminder to us although quite challenging! Definitely good to be reminded of God’s love for us, I can so often take it for granted.
I’m afraid we all take God’s love for granted far too often. So grateful you stopped by and allowed yourself to be challenged. May you live love(d).
So true! Especially this, “We love because He first loved us. Even though we seldom (if ever) deserve it.
Love today. Regardless of whether you feel it. Love because you’ve been loved, firstly and perfectly.
Love until your feelings follow suit” Thank you for sharing a loving word with me!
My pleasure, Jodie. Praying you feel loved and live love today.
Thanks for this reminder! It brings to mind the lessons Corrie ten Boom shares about learning to love & forgive the folks who hurt her. I’m visiting from Coffee for Your Heart. Blessings!
So glad you stopped by, Renee. Corrie has profound lessons for all of us! Love her heart.
Oh, amen! It’s so hard to love certain people–but you’re right–emotions follow actions. Thank you for the reminder that I need to act in a loving way and eventually, my heart will catch on ;).
Only by the grace of God, Anita. Praise Him.
Our heart will catch on. I love that! I forget too easily that my call is to love.
It’s humbling to see how God uses my “issues” to speak into other’s lives. Thank you, Sarah, for your willingness to “listen.”