II Thessalonians 1:3
“We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of everyone of you all abounds toward each other.”
Jesus tells us to love one another. It’s a small phrase that takes much to follow. We know what love feels like for we all love our friends. Jesus says in Matthew 5:46, “If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same?”
Jesus wants us to love everyone in our path. There will be those that we have a difficult time with. The challenge of christianity is to love them. It’s not possible in our own strength (Luke 18:27). We will spend much time wrestling with this. At times the first attitude change is to convince ourselves that we are to love them. They may have some stances or styles that are offensive. We are to love them anyways. Some occasions call for us to address styles. Yet all in love.
To grow in love requires prayer. Just as the same poles of a magnet repel, so we will often be repulsed by difficult people. We pray for the Lord to change our hearts. We rarely feel this at the time. Slow changes are better illustrated by a large ship. A cruise ship takes a long time to turn and that turn is barely perceptible. In time we will notice more patience and less irritation. This is God’s power.
Lord, thank You that You help us love one another.