When you Don’t Like the People you Love

You’re supposed to love certain folks.

Like your parents. Or your husband. Or your wife. Or your brothers. Or your sisters. Or even your kids.

But sometimes, even though you know you’re supposed to love them, you simply can’t get yourself to like them.

Ever felt that way?

Here are 3 thoughts for you on loving people when you don’t like them:

1. Jesus never used the word “like”. I spent several hours scanning through the pages of the Bible yesterday, and it’s true. The word “Like” never shows up. Not even once. Jesus has a lot to say about love, but he never ever mentions like as an option. So if you’re a Christian, you can like apples, and ice cream, and you can like your car, and the flowers you’ll get on valentine’s day, but perhaps you should scratch that word out of your vocabulary when it comes to people.

2. Love is an action verb. I’m sorry if you think of love as a warm fuzzy feeling, or some sparky chemical reaction, but the truth is that love is an action before it becomes a feeling. Love isn’t something you say, it’s something you do. It’s not something you feel. It’s something you choose. I John 3:18 says it this way “let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth”. The more you show someone you love them, the more you will see that you like them, but more importantly, the more they will see Christ’s love in you!

3. You’re not always like-able either. Really? I’m not always like-able? I don’t believe that for a second….but, it’s true. Just ask my mom. Yet no matter how unlike-able I get, I still expect others to love me – all the time. Shouldn’t we start treating others in the same way we want to be treated?

I’m going to warn you: I intend to write about love in some shape or form from now until D day – Valentine’s day. So you better be ready for candles and chocolates and smooches and hugs. It’s about to get romantic on living with power.

Or not.

Either way, re tweet this post if you “like” it.

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