Some people are easier to love than others. If you have a friendly old lady living in your street, who is always smiling and greeting you warmly, it is quite easy for you to do some small favour if and when the opportunity occurs.
Many years ago, back in the mid-80s, I discovered a near neighbour who was much harder to love. She lived a stone’s throw away. She was dirty and apparently poor, and when I went into her house it was untidy and smelling because her eyesight was failing and she was finding it difficult to keep it warm, dry and clean. I was able to do a good deed for her, but she didn’t seem very grateful and she didn’t have a nice word to say about anyone. She was bitter and spiteful and seemed very unapproachable. Regrettably, I didn’t persist – after that time I would see her occasionally walking down the street, but I made no effort to go out of my way to help her.
God loves all of us and encourages us to follow his example. Loving the lovable is easy – loving the ‘unlovable’ is more of a challenge:
‘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 sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.’ Luke 6: 35 [NIV]
When you are confronted with someone who is challenging and threatening in their approach, and seems to have no lovable qualities - try to respond to this ‘enemy’ in the way you would to a life-long friend. It is very easy to mirror the attitude they present – if they are pointing out your faults and weaknesses, I am sure that you could respond by making them aware of some of their failings too. But, God shows us a different model. Far better to be visibly different to the world, than to be invisibly the same.
Lord, help us to show your love at every opportunity; in the way we behave towards the hardest to love. Amen.
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