Loving others when you really don't want to.

You know that one person (or many people) in your life or that you have crossed paths with that just get to you? 
The ones that you just want to get away from as soon as possible? The ones that make you feel terrible just by being in the same room? 

Those are the people that need the most love. 

It's hard to love others sometimes.

At other times people make it really easy. But most of the time people are difficult.

Most people have heard the saying up above. It's true, not just for women but for all of us. 

Have you ever wondered what that crabby person working at McDonalds has gone through that day or that month? Or the rude homeless man? Or maybe even your boss? Maybe someone you see at the coffee shop everyday? 

People are difficult and hard to love. It's hard to smile and be nice to that neighbor that is just rude and disrespectful. That person that gives you that horrible look each day when you see them while getting lunch. Those people that look down on you as if they are better. It's hard to Love when people make you feel awful.

Ephesians 4:2 Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing with one another in love.

There are so many books, websites and posts about loving others and how you can reach beyond yourself. You can google and get everyone's opinions of how to do this. Walk into a book store and see shelves of books on loving others. Yet we still don't know how to do it.

What about family? Friends? Coworkers? Do we really take the time anymore to find out what the difficulties are in the lives of the people close to us? I have had multiple young men take their lives around me lately and I just wonder how many of us look back and wonder if we could've taken more time to find out about them and what they were going through. We as a human race know how to hide how we feel really well. We all have things hidden that we don't want to talk to others about. Things we are ashamed of. Things we are hurt by. But would that change if someone really asked us? I don't mean the usual, "how are you?" that we always say and expect someone to just say, "oh, good" and walk on by. I'm talking about actually taking the time to care about others around us. Taking the time to stop and really ask. Or talk to that person in the coffee shop. Or that difficult neighbor. 

All it takes is Love!

Slow down and think about others around you instead of what you need to do next and where you need to be. We live in such a selfish world and we are always thinking about what we need to buy and what we want to plan for our future that we are running around from place to place never stopping to think of others. I'm not saying that I'm good at this because I'm not. I have the hardest time when I'm around others not worrying about my own insecurities. Or too busy just watching and dealing with my kids to pay attention to others around me. Sometimes I even have so many worries of my own that I forget to even ask or listen to my own husband. 

Enemies! 

Loving your enemies is the hardest of all. Loving the ones that have hurt you. How about Loving the ones that have hurt a family member or friend? I didn't fully understand this for the longest time. I didn't really have any enemies my struggles were always just difficult people but now I have someone that has hurt me deeply. This person also hurt my family deeply and did it for their own satisfaction with no thought or care to the people they hurt. So this is such a struggle for me. I have to remind myself of this all the time and I don't know how I will really respond when this person and I come in contact (which will happen eventually because we live in a small town). 

God calls us to Love our enemies because he knows it will be better for US in the long run. It will help us to forgive them and become more like Jesus.  

Luke 6:35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked

Loving others will help us find peace and joy in the midst of struggles and sin.

1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

So the next time you see that person, or even if you think about them. Remember to show Love at all times. Take time out of your busy schedule to really listen to someone else.

Then you will realize that your not the only one struggling!