And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.
1 John 4:16-21 NIV
Each and every day we face trials and struggles and hardships. We face difficult situations with difficult people. We face discouraging conversations with friends, family, parents, supervisors, co-workers. Your dreams crushed. Your focus distracted. Your heart burdened. We arrive at the conclusion that our most disheartening encounters occur with the people we love the most.
That’s tough. That’s a difficult truth to allow in. Think about it. The people you’re closest to, the people who know your deepest darkest secrets, know the shape, size, location, and color of your buttons. They know what to say. They know what to do. They know where to take you. They know the quickest route to your pain.
Can you think of anyone like this offhand? You were probably already compiling a list of people as you were reading.
Why do we hurt the people we love? The people we love.
John tells us that love is made complete among us not when we hurt others, not when we bring up past indiscretions, not when we cut someone down, not when we intimidate our spouse or children, love is made complete when we are like Jesus.
He doesn’t stop there. No! He takes it a step further. If you claim to love God, if you confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and yet have hate for another, you’re a liar. There’s not enough room in your heart to store hate for some people and love for others.
You cannot control how others act toward you. You cannot control what others say to you. You can control your response, your reaction, through the conditioning of your heart. What needs to change? What do you need to let go? Who do you need to forgive?
Start going out of your way to open your heart, to care for others, to love, to be like Jesus.
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