Some people get it wrong.
Thinking God called them to like everyone.
He didn’t.
He called us to love them.
Liking is preference.
Loving is obedience.
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” - Matthew 5:44
When Jesus says bless them, He means speak well of them, not tear them down, even in private.
When He says do good, it’s not about forced favors or fake kindness.
It’s about refusing to repay wrong with wrong. And let’s be clear.
God isn’t asking for reluctant charity.
“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” - 2 Corinthians 9:7
That applies to money, time, words, anything we give.
The spirit we do it in matters as much as the act itself.
And let’s be even clearer, we are not talking about unforgiveness here.
We must forgive.
That’s a whole other email for a different day.
You don’t have to put on a front, because energy doesn’t lie.
But you do have to choose love, with a willing heart.
This week’s challenge:
Pray a blessing over the person you struggle with most.
Not for them to become who you want them to be, but for God to do in their life what only He can.
Because your feelings don’t get the final say, love does.
Love’s authenticity shows in the way you handle the hardest people.