Love: It’s a Choice

‘… Love your neighbour as yourself. No other commandment is greater…’ Mark 12:31

We all know someone who might be hard to love… they say the rudest things to rile us up or make us feel small or are just a bit nasty. Even so, we’re called to love them. Jesus was very clear on that. Now, there will always be people we don’t get along with, people we don’t like or find difficult to be around. We’re supposed to love them anyway. We don’t have to bring them gifts every day, but God does want us to treat them with respect.

What would happen if you took the time to find out and focus on their good qualities?

Love is more than an emotion; it’s an active (not always easy) choice to treat someone well because you know God and His love has been given to you. The Bible says that God is love and, if you ask Him, He’ll teach you how to love them like he does.

Here’s a challenge: make a list of your most-difficult-person’s five best qualities, however hard that is, and however long it takes. Maybe you could then share one of those five things with them.

Isaac Williams
Assistant Chaplain – Wyvern House