"This
is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you." (John 15:12).
There is a big difference between
liking someone and loving someone. God commands us to love everyone, including
those you might not like; and there shouldn’t be anyone you don’t like. To like
or dislike someone is an operation of the flesh and you must never base any
relationship on that. It’s like when you say, "I like the president of my
country." That’s nice, but it’s in the flesh, so God has no respect for
it; and because it’s in the flesh, there is always the possibility that someday,
due to some reasons, you may not like him anymore.
Sometimes, we like or dislike people
or things for no special reasons. That’s why it’s possible for a new employee
to be disliked by his colleagues, right from that employee’s very first day in
the office. It might be something he said—something that naturally shouldn’t
offend anyone—but a colleague hears it and starts to dislike him. Living this
way is fleshly or carnal, and it’s the cause of the factions and nepotism that
exist in families, groups and society at large.
God’s desire for His children is for
them to rise above this fleshly mental appreciation of one another. He wants
you to love people not because they are nice or kind to you but because He said
you should love everyone. He wants you to choose the love-highway! When you do,
your emotions will line up with God’s Word and you’ll find that you are able to
love unconditionally. There’ll be a transformation in your relationships, and
people will seek to identify with you because they can experience the love of
God through you.
Further Study
2 Corinthians 5:16;
1 John 2:7-11
Andy Agim
Christ Realities
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