Does loving someone also mean I need to LIKE them? Mmmmmh, there is a challenging thought. I am sure we have all come across people that we don't like at all, but somewhere in our 'Christian minds' we know we are supposed to 'love' these irritating people and that is when we feel a little confused.
If you have ever struggle with this, then perhaps this insight may help in your thinking:
“We must understand that God does not "love" us without liking us - through gritted teeth - as "Christian" love is sometimes thought to do. Rather, out of the eternal freshness of his perpetually self-renewed being, the heavenly Father cherishes the earth and each human being upon it. The fondness, the endearment, the unstintingly affectionate regard of God toward all his creatures is the natural outflow of what he is to the core - which we vainly try to capture with our tired but indispensable old word "love".” ― The Divine Conspiracy
Wow, that is quite a mouthful, but it makes interesting reading. I wonder if God ever loves us through gritted teeth?
Question: Is it possible to love someone, even if we don't like them? (if you know the answer then please share your recipe of success with us)
Living in Grace
D3LM3
2 comments:
Hi Delme,
This is something teachers have to wrestle with directly - separate the behaviour from the person. Discipline is needed, and kids do wrong stuff, sometimes really horrible things. But if you can separate out the action from the individual, it allows room for growth, for improvement. It is essentially an act of love. It works out of the classroom to - calling "locker room talk" is an act of love for both women and the guys, leading them to be better humans, more like what they can be.
I also find it helpful to see each person as made in the image of God, loved by Jesus. If He loves them enough to die for them, there must be something of value there, and it is up to me to find it.
It maybe dodges the issue of "liking", but replaces it with "respect", which I find more helpful than trying to "love", which is a complicated word!
Grant H
Thank you Grant - your thoughts are so helpful and I appreciate your input. God bless you as you continue to shape lives and serve Christ. Delme
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