He does not grow weary in reminding you. Over and over again in Gods word He tells us and even sometimes admonishes us to love. Up until this point in creation, God had simply spoken everything into existence, but when He got to humanity, He took the time to design us and make us with His own hands. See my disclosure for more details. Not only did He know you, but He wanted you. It is God's kindness that is meant to lead you to repentance. In all of these stories, we find one thing in common: Jesus . But you see the difficulty both of the sons almost are the same. All this is the work of God, who in Christ reconciled us to Gods self. Jesus was perfect and therefore did not have to die (which is the wage of sin; Romans 6:23). God is not a harsh . | Are you hated by the people for who you are and what you do? What's the point of cursing someone to eternal suffering like that? Copyright 2023 American Family Association. Then seek out a church where you can grow spiritually, as you hear the Bible taught and have opportunities for fellowship with others. If you like what you're reading, you can get free daily updates through the RSS feed here. Iraq's Catholic cardinal leaves Baghdad after president revokes decree recognizing church's authority, The pope's Ukraine peace envoy heads to Washington with the plight of children top of his agenda, Pope recognizes China's unilateral appointment of Shanghai bishop, three months after the fact, New Vatican doctrinal chief Cardinal Fernndez defends book he wrote about kissing. True, there are times when we might choose to hate someone rather than love them, but when we choose hatred over love we might just miss out on some blessings. Leprosy was a dreaded sickness in biblical times. The Bible says, "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent . Consider the following scriptures for further study on how we can love the unlovely through compassion: Mark 6:34; Mark 9:23; Matthew 9:22; Matthew 9:36; Matthew 14:14; Luke 8:43-48; James 5:14; 1 Timothy 4:12. Perhaps some Christians are more prone to this than others, depending on their self-awareness, conceptual understanding of the weight of sin, or their lack of faith in Gospel forgiveness. He made them too! God has drawn us into existence out of love. Why does it matter? Here are a few of the reasons why we need to love others, including the difficult people in our lives. Gods Word says to bless your enemies. He was probably hated by the Jews, for he collected (or even extorted) taxes from them to be brought to Romans. The love of Godimmeasurable though it iscan not be understood to any real degree apart from an awareness of how inherently unlovable we are. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. In 1 John 4:8, we are told that God is love. That's why we have people born of different statures, short or tall, skinny or fat. Here are some ways to love your enemies. I didn't know what it really meant to be loved by Christ. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. If a friend asks you to do something, you do it. Sign up hereto receive an email alert when the latest homily is posted. The Trinity doctrine is a barrier to truly knowing and loving God. Love is the single greatest evidence that God is dwelling within us. They were home. Who Were The Gentiles Christ Should Manifest Unto? Stay up to date with the latest Christian news! But then as we heard in the second lesson, God also expects us, as those who have been so blessed, to be the ambassadors for God, ambassadors of Christ. And because God is love, he is going to love me no matter how obnoxious, unlovable and undeserving I am of his love. Can Christians Deny Christ Before Others? ], Select any of the newsletters below, then enter your email address and click "subscribe", Stories of climate, crisis, faith and action, Mission and ministry of Catholic women religious around the world, Help us deliver independent, lay-led Catholic journalism, Joshua says, speaking for God, Today I have removed from you the shame of Egypt. So the Israelites encamped there, where they celebrated the Passover on the evening of the. God loves us by His own choice not in reaction to us. He made you and He loves you! I will never leave you. Lastly, Christ came to die for the likes of me and you: sinners without hope if not for God's mercy and grace in the form of the Lord Jesus Christ. If for no other reason at all, we need to love the unlovable simply because God says so. Luke 14:1-3, 11-32 Matthew 5:38-42. In addition to the example of Jesus showing love for the unlovable, we are encouraged and reminded of the importance of love in the following verses: 1 Corinthians 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. Let His words in the Scriptures show you His heart, despite what your feelings tell you. 1 In other words, if you feel like you are in physical pain when someone puts you down, treats you badly, or invalidates you, it's because you are. Too dirty? No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and Hislove is perfected in us. Copyright 2023 Megan Allen Ministries | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme, What God Says About Loving Difficult People, You have heard that it was said, Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.. God cannot become disillusioned (disappointed at some new knowledge of you) because He had the full picture of how jacked up you were when He said: I want them.. Topics: Relationships. Pamela Rose has written 407 articles on What Christians Want To Know! Pope Francis gave us his extraordinary example about how we should be reaching out to those who are in need. What is the purpose of loving the unlovable people in our lives? In my bible study last week we went through Matthew chapter 5 the beattitudes. The question is, what does God do with our objections? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Can . All Rights Reserved. Use your gifts to hold others up (Exodus 17:12) Ask God to help you be a friend to someone who may feel just like you do. Every leper was thrown out of society and forced to live in seclusion because the disease was contagious. I here have been working all these years while hes gone, wasting your wealth, living as a sinner. The elder son then refuses to come in. Why, in those we love most.. He died for us while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8). How do we know that God is not distant or cruel? Perhaps that is why the apostle Paul would pray that we would be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge (Ephesians 3:18-19)? In fact, one could easily argue that its much better to find out who you are and allow yourself time to grow rather than to rush into a marriage too soon. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The old guy said I could never do that. It made me sad for him. Why did God create me? Local: 704-401-2432 How does he reward his faithful worshippers? God will never stop loving me. Psalm 103:10-11 (NASB). To them, God seems unfathomable, distant, or even cruel. How much did He love us? Is God distant or cruel? Perhaps it's because the unlovable need the love of Christ the most. Never better, all the drugs couldn't ever make me love. Copyright 2010-2023 Telling Ministries LLC. When God looks at you, He sees something that He handcrafted. Take a look at these examples: Jesus Demonstrated Compassion Jesus healed the sick, fed the hungry and made the lame to walk. Don't think you are unloved, because in Christ, you are forever loved (see Romans 8). But He assures us that we can so know Him that, whatever happens, we need never be frightened, we need never be alarmed., In Romans 5:8, the apostle Paul writes, But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Two verses earlier, in Romans 5:6, he states, For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.. I wanted to be with you.. 4. The idea that God unconditionally loves us should always leave us feeling awestruck and thankful for the fact that He truly cares about each detail of our lives. Including our hearts. Can you really love someone who is impossible to know or understand? Some people find it difficult to love God. As the nineteenth-century preacher,Charles Haddon Spurgeonsaid, You can trace the beginning of human affection; you can easily find the beginning of our love to Christ, but his love to us is a stream whose source is hidden in eternity.. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. Lessons from the Parable of the Prodigal Son, How to Use the Inductive Bible Study Method, Bible Study of Ephesians Free Printable Study Guide. And here is what God says to your broken self: Forwhile you were still weak, at the right timeI died for the ungodly you. 1 John 4:11-13. 2023 BGEA However, we can rest in the promise that He loves us simply because love is what He is. It was precisely when you were most sinful that the heart of God went out towards you. Lauren, you mention that you are afraid that no one will ever love you because you are overweight, not very social, and not very pretty. Nevertheless, that reality fails to mollify my curiosity about why such a gaping disparity exists. God wants to reassure you of His love for you. How can it be that Thou, My God, should die for me?, He has not dealt with us according to our sins, not rewarded us according to our iniquities. With that in mind, He paid the greatest price of all, His Son, as a way to make that desire a reality. Toll Free: 1-877-247-2426. What can we learn from her faith? It was while we were still sinners that God sent Jesus. Loving difficult people is a way we can extend the same kindness and compassion that we have been given in Christ. The 136th Psalm is unique, as every verse ends with a declaration that Gods tender love for us continues on forever. God has drawn us into existence out of love. Here are seven Bible verses to get you started in the fight. We dont have to be afraid of God. We are serial objectors. GameStop Moderna Pfizer Johnson & Johnson AstraZeneca Walgreens Best Buy Novavax SpaceX Tesla. If you have a child, you may have a better understanding of this concept. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. We all have them. Part of the reason that God loves you is because He paid a great price for the opportunity to be with you. Additionally, she works with her husband using their extensive experience in information technology to provide Christ-centered teaching and resources to people all over the world. As we love others, especially in the moments when its difficult for us to do so, we display His presence dwelling within us. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. While its true, our church correctly values families and places an emphasis on marrying young, at age 21 you are hardly too old to worry about things like this. The older son says, I have slaved for you all these years. He, too, thinks his relationship with the father is that of a slave, following orders. Thats not compatible with these pictures of what Ive done. Perhaps it was something that you built, a song that you composed or a painting that you created. Conversely, when God denies or disciplines us, we often feel distant and isolated from Him. It required no object outside the Godhead. One thing would be to realize that you arent the only shy or lonely person in the world not at all. In all of these stories, we find one thing in common: Jesus loved the oppressed, the socially outcast, and the unwanted. By Billy Graham She has a Bachelors Degree in Christian Education and spends most of her time as a professional editor and writer, working with many Christian authors and artists. But God is always calling out to us with good news. In some cases he even washed their feet which was considered to be the dirtiest part of the body since in those days they wore sandals. Compassion uproots bitterness. Someone asked him about his belief in an afterlife. Please click here to learn how. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Is It Biblical to Plead the Blood of Jesus? That includes how we love others. The Bible tells us the story of Christ healing the 10 lepers, the man who was paralysed for 38 years, and that demoniac of Gadara who had the name Legion. Respond to His love by asking Christ to come into your life today. First off, the easy one. Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus., 25 Encouraging Bible Verses About Strength, Words of Encouragement: 30 Uplifting Quotes, What the Bible Says About Prayer and Praying, Biblical Evidence That the Age of the Apostles and Prophets Has Ended or Ceased. Scripture is full to the brim of God reaffirming us that His love is contrary to our default thoughts of Him. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. As the nineteenth-century Prince of Preachers, Charles Haddon Spurgeon said, You can trace the beginning of human affection; you can easily find the beginning of our love to Christ, but his love to us is a stream whose source is hidden in eternity.. Your question to Ask Gramps broke the heart of all of us reading it. So we present ourselves as ambassadors in the name of Christ.. 1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! As Jesus frequently did when teaching the people He referred back to Old Testament writings to get a point across, especially to those who really knew and studied the law. If it werent for the fact of our fallen existence, we wouldnt know very much about Gods everlasting righteousnessmuch less be able to give Him glory for it. To test my assumption, I recently Googled the phrase Christian God of love and received 737 million hits. Repent of your wicked ways. These cookies do not store any personal information. However, in small wards it can be very difficult if not impossible to connect with people who we dont share anything with. I say that in light of these words from the sixteenth-century Reformer,Martin Luther, who said, God does not love sinners because they are attractive; sinners are attractive to God because he loves them.. This is not the way Jesus has commanded us to treat the people who mistreat us. We repay evil for evil. Luke 6:27-28. Is the Euphrates River fulfilling prophecy. But God is not so mercurial as to make the demonstration of His love a matter of situation or circumstance. Let God speak for God. These cookies do not store any personal information. For even sinners do the same. If he hates the sin in you, it is a good sign; for where do we hate sin most? The Bible tells us the story of Christ healing the 10 lepers, the man who was paralysed for 38 years, and that demoniac of Gadara who had the name Legion. This is where I want to end, but also where I want to encourage you to begin. It could be a family member who is impossible to please. Perhaps that is why the apostle Paul would pray that we would be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge (Ephesians 3:18-19)? But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. It means intimacy, communion, and fellowship. But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. We must be the ones, and we will be the ones once we recognize how God has so loved us, we begin to understand how we love God by loving one another, bringing about reconciliation that will lead to peace and to fullness of life for all of us and for all the people of Gods earth. 3.1 Do Good to Others 3.2 Bless Your Enemies 3.3 Pray For People What Does it Mean to Love the Unlovable Is it possible that I made something prior to life to deserve such punishment? Your feelings dont speak for God. Have you felt forgotten by God? He died to fulfill God's will of saving us and making us as His own children: forgiven, accepted, and being sanctified in Christ. Show the true intent of your heart, which loves God (Luke 12:33-34) Take this opportunity to really encounter this powerful Scripture. But I have served Satan all my days, say you. Because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). It had all been the work of God. Admittedly, Gods attributes are innumerable. God did not send His Son to die for us while we were worthy of love, but rather when we were very unworthy. Ridicule for ridicule. God had summoned Moses, sent Moses, and Moses led them out. TAPIWA MAKORE MURDER: COURT HANDS DOWN SENTENCE | 12 JULY 2023 | sentence There are moments in our relationships with certain people when we feel like it is impossible to love them. Gods steadfast love? Conversely, there is nothing you can do to make Him love you more. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. God sustains me every moment of my existence out of love. God is infinite. (The woman thinks Jesus should condemn her, but He doesnt.). No, He faces life realistically and tells us that these are things to which the flesh is heir, and which are bound to come. The lonely may go unnoticed because they dont seek attention, but theyre still there and in fact, theyre all around you. Keeping the Faith in College: Advice for Students, Summer Soul Refresher: The Strength and Satisfaction in Serving Others, Summer Soul Refresher: How to Create Community, Summer Soul Refresher: What a Friend We Have in Jesus. Im so thankful that God does not treat us as we deserve. He Died for the Ungodly and Unrighteous. Or whyCharles Wesley, the writer of more than 6,500 hymns, would exclaim, Amazing love! To test my assumption, I recently Googled the phrase Christian God of love and received 737 million hits. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" ( Genesis 1:1 ). Give thanks to the Lord over all lords! Philippians 2:34 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. You can trace the beginning of human affection; you can easily find the beginning of our love to Christ, but his love to us is a stream whose source is hidden in eternity.. THE WATCHTOWER Lies That Make God Seem Unlovable, Share Because of the goodness of God, bringing Him glory is actually life-giving for us. Has no one condemned you?She said, No one, Lord. And Jesus said,Neither do I condemn you. Send your thoughts to Letters to the Editor. Privacy We dont engage in gossip! Gods love cannot, under any circumstances, be separated from who He is. His love is unmoving, unshakable, and unending. Im overweight and Ive never dated anyone. Contact Us. Such is the love of God that He would be enamored with spiritual invalids like you and me (Ephesians 2:4-5). document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, NC 28201 It is our sinfulness that puts Gods unmerited love into proper perspective and context (Luke 5:8). His tender love for us continues on forever! Im not very social or pretty, but I do try to be kind and Christ-like. Jesus told His disciples, "A new command I give you: Love one another. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Because we were broken, dirty, sinful, and rebellious when God initiated his love towards us. Pamela Rose Williams is a wife, mother and grandmother. As long as Charisse is doing what is rightthere is NOTHING I will not do for her because she's my child. No, you're not. Over the last few Sundays, our Scripture lessons have reminded us more than once that God loves us, and that God first loved us, and that God always loves us. Required fields are marked *. There have been hundreds (if not thousands) of songs written about the love of God. Self-love is not always commendable in humans. The only way to make that happen was to offer His one and only, unique Son as a way to build a bridge from humanity to God. Have you ever made something? We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. Why doesn't God love me enough to make me lovable? We don't have to be afraid of God. As Paul says, God makes an appeal to all of us. We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. God is infinite. Im not talking about putting together a piece of furniture that came with directions. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. Here, if you can, you'll want to react positively without missing a beat. Are you too bad? Because theyre your child! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Gods Word is clear. We should do things in a way that contrasts the ways of the world. He Reached Out to the Socially Outcast and Unwanted. It was precisely when you were most sinful that the heart of God went out towards you. Loving difficult people can be so challenging, but by the power of His Spirit within us, we can do it! However, many of us often wonder why God loves us, especially when we often feel unlovable. Nevertheless, that reality fails to mollify my curiosity about why such a gaping disparity exists. He wont accept the fathers word, Everything I have is yours. Among the more misunderstood attributes of God is His love. We can even do so many things that we think we cannot do if we just call upon the Holy Spirit to show us how to do it. We are factories of fresh resistances to Christs love. They went into slavery because of their sinfulness, but God brought them out through Moses, then that long travel through the desert. Now, you love the home. Bible Study, Instead He willingly gave His life as ransom for ours. In this Jesus showed that serving even these people was a way to love the unlovable. loving the unlovable, If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit isthat to you? Read my full disclosure. (Meaning, you are prone to think he will deal with you according to your sins), Lamentations 3:22-23 -The steadfast love of theLordnever ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are newevery morning; great is your faithfulness. Pray is powerful! Maybe its that neighbor whose dog is always barking at 6 am. God loves each of us as if there were only one of us"- Augustine. Because you wanted it so badly that you had to make it yours. If you ever felt unloved and unwanted, be encouraged by this truth: Jesus loves you and wants you to be His. So often we allow the way others speak to or treat us to determine how we will treat them. God began by designing the environment we would live in, setting the physical parameters for Earth. There you will find people who care about you and youll learn to care about them. Get them all out. BGEA is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Pictures. Answer The short answer to the question "why did God create us?" is "for His pleasure." Revelation 4:11 says, "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." If we have nothing nice to say about the person, then we keep our mouths closed. Memories. God is always waiting to be gracious to us. Then people raised their hands; they all had the same question, Why do you keep all those 613 laws if you think everyone is going to get into heaven anyway? The rabbi smiled and answered, Because God has asked me to keep them. Its a matter of friendship. Admittedly, Gods attributes are innumerable. Broken, confused, and sheepishly hesitant to ask again: Do you really love me? He loved us, period. He explained about the 613 laws of the Torah and how he faithfully keeps those laws. God is infinite. Do it so God is glorified (Matthew 5:17) We love because he first loved us. Nov 27, 2019 | AAAA AskGramps Website, Self Worth | 0 comments. How'd I get so damn unlovable? 17824 48 The Bible talks at length about God's love for His people. I know that I find myself here often. It was God who did that. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. With the pronouns changed to 1st person). Never forget Whom you are serving (Proverbs 19:17; Colossians 3:23-24) Flashing red lights in our minds that say: No, no, thats too good to be true. Sometimes life can feel like you're at a carnival. Beloved, if God so loved us,we also ought to love one another. Find us on social media for the latest updates. But Christ came healing lepers, showing them God's love. Jesus was seen having meals with tax collectors, speaking with a Samaritan woman and honoring a woman for breaking a very expensive bottle of perfume. 1 Cor. Fellowship in Greek is the word koinonia. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. The father, of course, represents God, but you notice in the story when the son was still a long way off, the father saw him and ran to meet him, went out to draw him in. He wants to have fellowship with you because He loves you. Nonetheless, I would venture to say that among Gods myriad characteristics, His love would be the first quality to come to mind were most Christians asked to describe the God in whom they profess to believe. If you ever wonder about the depth of Gods love for you, remember that You are His own personal production. Leave them behind for a far greater pleasure and love, namely God. Of all the people Christ would call to be His followers, we wouldn't believe that He would call a Jewish tax collector named Levi or Matthew. The views expressed by individual users are the responsibility of those users and do not necessarily represent the position of the Church. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the position of the Church. You are only 21 Lauren, and that is still young, so young. How can you help? God speaks for God. He desires that we point others toward the love, grace, and mercy to be found in a relationship with Jesus. "Pastor John, why did God make some people ugly and unattractive? Do it because you love God and not for any other reason (Hebrews 13:16) And yet, what does it say about God that he is aware of our propensity to object to his love for us? I love this practical approach. When we talked about loving your enemies, do good to those who hate you (vs 44) I was so surprised to hear the old guy in the group say he could never forgive a certain person. Leave them behind for a far greater pleasure and love, namely God. Instead of complaining about their words or their behavior, we compliment them and give a good report of them to others. I think probably many of us find the position of the elder son to be kind of true, that we might actually be like that. Read about how Jesus spent His time: Matthew 9:10-11; Mark 2:13-17; Luke 19:1-10; Luke 7:37-40; John 4:1-25; John 13:1-17. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. In Christs name, Amen. John 3:16 is one of the most often-quoted verses in the entire Bible. Too fake? We are sons and daughters of God, loved at every instant by God. In this Christian study walk with me through some Bible examples of how you can choose to love the unlovely. If you love those who love you, what credit isthatto you? Scripture says in Psalm 37:4 that if we will delight ourselves in the Lord that He will give us the desires of our heartBECAUSEthose desires will be pure and right in His sight. Always appreciate when you highlight a Spurgeon quote, and the one you closed with asks a self revealing question where do we hate sin most? to reveal something extraordinary about our creator. Dont let your heart or your feelings dictate theological truth of Gods heart.
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