Increase my love

1 Thessalonians 3: ¹² May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. ¹³ May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

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Sunny days and peaceful nights were the majority of times when I grew up in the city but when our lawn mower went missing, we knew who had it. When a stolen car “appeared” in the alley behind our block, we knew who was involved. Finally, when the police chased a car onto our mostly peaceful block we knew who it was.

We had no “love lost” as the police removed this scoundrel from our block. As the mother cried over her “baby” being ripped from her, we applauded, well at least I did. I mean how can anyone love this guy?

• Many times I see the wrong in people and it blinds me to see what GOD sees in them.
• Many times I see the sin “they” are doing and I forget the sins I am doing.
• Many times I see the mistakes people make and I am critical but I want grace when I goof.

It’s so easy to love those who show me love and it’s so hard to do the same for those who obviously don’t have my best interest in mind. From thugs, to bullies, to corporate oppressors with political slants, I wrote these people off as “deserving” their fall whenever one of them got caught. No love lost. BUT GOD loves them, how can I?

• GOD wants me to look beyond someone’s selfishness and give them what they need in order to see HIM.
• GOD wants me to look beyond someone’s sin and give them compassion, just like the compassion HE shows me.
• GOD wants me to look beyond someone’s passive aggressive ways or political affiliation or pleasure seeking plots so that I can truly show “love.”

Love is hard because I am selfish. I mean GOD wants the best for these people and I want them to feel pain so they can at least apologize for their “wrong” actions. GOD wants me to give the best to those who don’t deserve it so they can one day turn to HIM. I need an extra dose of love from GOD.

• Do you have someone in your life who is difficult to love?
• Are you busy pointing your finger at “those” people who are slanderous and scandalous?
• Do you have compassion for “that” person who constantly messes up?
• Can you ask GOD for an extra dose of love?