Loving Difficult People

7 But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. 8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”

Intro:

If the COVID-19 pandemic wasn't enough, it is layered upon years and new moments of strife, controversy, grief, sorrow, loss, hatred, pride...stemming from the sin of a fallen humanity.

Each of us represents a different slice of reality, slice of the world.

Each of us—if we were to take stock of what is going on around us, going on within earshot (far things which social media and technology bring near)—would have a list of:

what could be better,

what's not so great,

what's downright despicable,

what's unfortunate,

what's sad but true,

what's criminal,

what's evil and having a field day,

what's sin.

We hear of, we know of, and at times participate in our movements...our movements to

EndSARS,

End Police Brutality,

Increase police accountability,

leadership responsibility and integrity ...whether it be in the

church house,

the court house,

City Hall,

Entertainment industry,

Athletic arena,

the school house,

the White House, and

even your house and my house.

We see and we know and we cringe and hurt...and sometimes we give up and give in.

Proverbs 10:12 NKJV

12 Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins.

We believe (and at times experience) the words of the Proverb writer, "Hatred stirs up strife...".

Today, I call us to continue the message, continue the story, knowing and believing the rest of the author's words to be true: "But love covers all sins."

And let us not just believe these words, but let's live them to prove them true. Humanity depends on their validity.

James said:

James 2:18–19 NKJV

18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!

Prayer: God help us: let us be different from the demons. Let us have a different testimony.

Topic:

Loving Difficult People

Let us pray

Matthew 22:36–38 NKJV

36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment.

Jesus commands us to love.

Luke 6:27–28 NKJV

27 “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.

And Jesus commands us not just to love those for whom it may be easiest for us to love.

But even to "love our enemies" Jesus says we are to do.

It seems odd to me that Jesus would (and could!) command love.

It can feel like being told, "You two make up and be friends."

Isn't love a feeling?

Isn't love emotion?

Isn't love affection?

Can I manufacture love?

Can I just turn love on and off like one turns a water faucet?

(I will not answer any of these inquires ;)

Even with these questions/this pushback perhaps, the divine instruction remains: Love People...love your neighbor, love your enemies, love your family in Christ...

Why love?

1 John 4:8 NKJV

8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

Love most clearly reflects God.

1 John 4:7–8 NKJV

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

Love most clearly represents God.

1 Peter 4:7–8 NKJV

7 But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. 8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”

The end is near and hatred is not going to get us there--over the finish line. Love is our ticket to a better life with the most people. --and I want for you to be there....

What does look like to love?

You may know:

1 Corinthians 13:4–8 NKJV

4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

Apostle Paul’s words:

Luke 6:27–36 NKJV

27 “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. 29 To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. 31 And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise. 32 “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. 35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. 36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

We can also start by what Jesus outlines:

How do we do it? How do we love difficult people?

Luke 6:35–36 NKJV

35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. 36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

1. First, in recognition that in God there is a reward for all that we give up as we live our lives unto Jesus' example.

2. Decide to. The decision precedes the action. The action precedes the feeling.

(I think this process is what really tripped up the disciples as they followed Jesus. )

(“Jesus, you want to go back there? They were trying to kill you.”)

3. Learn and admit your own difficulties.

3. Continually humble yourself, thanking God for loving you. This removes pride and boost humility.

This lowers your gaze (your brow). This increases your compassion. As well, it increases your burden--when you've been helped so much and you know it, I find it easier to become creative to love on someone else.

Remember.

Jesus is the Savior of people, not me.

Love is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Don't use love manufactured through something else.

Love doesn't have to be reciprocated. We are paying it forward.

(Note: I want to be careful not to suggest that to Love means to remain in a domestic violence situation. I don't have indication that scripture supports remaining in domestic abusive situations and I would like explore that further with you.)

In closing, scripture:

Romans 13:8–14 NKJV

8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. 11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

1 John 4 NKJV

1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. 4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. 17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us. 20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

1 John 5:1–5 NKJV

1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?