LOVE is a powerful word yet it has been used way too many times, too often and too easy that made people confused the very meaning of love itself. It is overused that people almost get lost of what
love really means.
Love is love, people said, and yet they hate the people who against their opinion or view of what they think define the word
"love". Love is not love when it hurts other people involved in it. Love is not love when it means you violate other people's life. Love is not love when you are taking advantage of other people. Love is not love when you wanted to marry a person who already has a spouse, even though the feeling is mutual, it is still wrong, and love is pure. Love is not love when all you think about is to satisfy yourself, and the list continues on. Love does not mean I have to agree with you all the time. A parent who thinks love means give everything and anything to their children so that they will be
happy, even though they know there are things that are not good for their children, do
not love their children.
LOVE is a feeling, love is a commandment, love is a relationship, love is a blessing, love is a gift, love also means to hug your enemy with a never ending compassion that beats in your heart, for as long as you live.
The question is HOW?
How do we love those who hates us? How do you even like to be in the same room with those who clearly cannot stand you and vice versa? How do you love those who hates you because you are different than them? How do you love those who make fun of you because of your appearance? How do you love those who disagree with you? How do you love those who hates you?
"For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?" (Matthew 5:46a)
It is harder to love those who hates you than to love those who already love you in the first place.
The key to love those who hates, dislike or cannot stand you is to have a better understanding of who they are as a human being. Get to know a person, their upbringing, their ups and downs in life. A person becomes who they are today because of how their past treated them. Build a friendship instead of a wall.
What makes us,
human, unique is that we have our differences and that leads to a lot of opinions, views and principles in life. We value different things, we love and hate certain things, we like and dislike some things. But, in every differences we have, we
must have at least one thing that we like or love in common. Instead of keep fighting and arguing on the things that makes us hates each other, why don't we talk or embrace the things that we both like? One thing that we both enjoy would make a better life than fighting over one thing that we hate.
Pastor Miles McPherson of the
Rock Church in San Diego talked about it on
Sunday and it is powerful!
I realize that in this life, we will meet a lot of people with a lot of background, upbringing, religion, belief, faith, preference and the list goes on. We can not control everything in this world, we can not always win every conversation, we can not push our belief to others, we can not agree with everything because there are things that we think is the truth, right or wrong, and others will think the opposite. You know what the good news is all about in this issue? We do NOT have to agree with everyone and everything to love someone.
The problem with society these days, is that some people think that when someone disagree with them, it is simply mean
"hater". Just like love is being overused, so is the word hate. Disagree simply means you have your opinion and I have mine, with our own reasons. Does it mean I hate you? nope! It means I have different opinion than yours. Some like their tea with honey, some like it with sugar and some just want it plain. Some like it hot, some like cold. Some wants some lemon, some wants none. When people disagree with you, it is good to listen to their reasons, facts and the
why factors behind it, instead of closing your ears and eyes, yet you open your mouth with the word "HATE".
"Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning." (Proverbs 9:8-9)
Stop Judging Others!
So, does it mean we must be free to do everything we want? No, everything has its limit and boundary. Without limits, you will put yourself and others into confusion and danger. That is why we still have rules, law and legal system :)
Does it mean we can not remind someone that they take a wrong way? It is always how you say it that make people accept your opinion or hates you. If you know someone you love do something illegal and they could go to jail because of it, would you rather see them go to jail because you are afraid they will tell you the "Don't judge me" card?.
Be wise to pick a conversation, put love above all things. You tell them because you love them, not because you are trying to judge them or because you think you are better than them. There is no one on this earth that is blameless and sinless, but it does not mean we can not remind each other of what is right, wrong and true.
Some people said "Don't Judge", because either they know that there is a God who will judge us fair and we are all sinning or they love doing a certain thing that they know it is wrong but they wanted to continue doing it. So if they advised others to stop doing whatever "it" is they are doing that is wrong, that would make them hypocrite? This word has become way overused, just like love and hate LOL.
See, the thing is that we are all human, and we will continue to make mistake everyday and that is why we must repent everyday. Temptation comes everyday, the war is within ourselves with our own self. I am my own enemy. The devil could not make me do it, I do it, the devil only gives me some ideas, but he is not that powerful to make me do it, unless I wanna do it on the first place.
I did sin A, it was wrong and I knew it. I see my friend is about to do this sin A, should I tell her to stop before it was too late just like my own experience or should I just let her go for it, do what makes you happy-even though I know it is wrong based on my own experience? Should I tell her or should I just shut my mouth up because I am too afraid of the "hypocrite" label people put on me?. Tell her what you know about it based on YOUR own experience and what it does to your life. If she still chose to do it, then it is her choice, but you did what you must as a loving friend who does not wanna see her friend get hurt. Again, it is how we say it and what motivates us to say it. Is it love, self righteous, judgmental minded, selfishness, hate or simply big mouth who does not think first yet always open their mouth to say hurtful things.
Sometimes your act of love speaks louder than words. So, if you know you are dealing with issues that requires action and not words, then it is time to speak up when they ask your opinion. Nobody can beat the words, "I am here if you need me", "I will always be your friend no matter what", "What can I do to help you?"or "I understand, I have been there".
When people hates you because you are different,
love them anyway.
When people makes fun of you because of your principles or values in life,
love them anyway.
When people attacked you because you disagree with them,
love them anyway.
In life, we will always meet those who agree/disagree with us, what are you gonna do?
Hide? Hate? Anti Social? Gossip?
Stand true to the TRUTH,
and at the same time love them who dislike you because you disagree with them.
We don't need to agree with everyone all the time. I have an opinion, you have yours.
If you don't agree with me,
I still love you
:)
Love ALWAYS win
xoxo,
Lindsay
