We must be very careful when we confess our distaste or dislike for someone and there is no love in our HEARTS in harmony with God’s love for them. Words are cheap. We have said we love people when we really did not. God does not put His stamp of approval on us when we claim to love, yet we really do not. We must be ruthlessly honest with ourselves, for it is easy to lie to ourselves…
I focus on this topic more, now, than ever. I am still learning and intentionally attempting to come into line with Father on this subject. We are faced with the issue of God’s love versus the love of man on a daily basis. Our feelings are hurt. Sometimes our families are hurt…and in our self-justification, we do not always understand why God doesn’t do something about our pain. Well, He does. He will heal you from the pain, the scars and all around you, yet He will not relinquish His love from anyone.
He does not condone what people have done to hurt any of us. It still does not remove His love for them. I asked Him, one day, why this was the case. His answer, for me, was like trying to explain the godhead. I understood it enough to believe Him, but not enough to make the process any easier.
As a result of this effort (and He must help me daily), my relationship with Him began to change. One day I found myself without reaction to some situations that, in the past, were crushing. It was not a numbness…it was a knowing. I spent less time licking my wounds and trying to understand people and began focusing my time on understanding Father’s purpose, for that is where the crux of the matter is. As we mature in Him, we discover that He says He is not like a man, who lies…The words, I Love You, have been used manipulatively for a long time, and in our own desire to be loved, we believe it. I do not believe everyone who tells me they love me anymore. I do believe God. I believe that there are people who want to love me unconditionally; and then a condition shows up that severs that connection. I am not as bothered by that as I was years ago.
My discovery has been that the longer I walk with God, my understanding our desires concerning love have grown with that walk. I do not have a need to hear those words all of the time from people..and if I never hear it again, I am solid in knowing that I love God and He loves me. When Paul made the statement that “he could do all things through Christ who strengthened him” was referring to the fact that if the disciples had not brought to him the financial need he needed, his reliance was upon Father…not just for the needs being met, but the attitude displayed by Christ because He was quite able to meet Paul’s needs. (Php 4:13)
Throughout scripture God worked with and through ungodly people and those who had no covenant with Him to bring about His tremendous purpose for all of us.
For God’s purposes, He loves everyone, even those we may wonder about. He does not accept any behavior that is not in harmony with Him or His purposes. He, however, never stops loving them (us) and doing everything possible and necessary to woo us back into His ways. To understand and embrace this, we must allow Him to reveal to each of us what this means and what it looks like.
You can forgive people and never lose God’s love for them, and patiently wait out the transformation God will do in you and in them.
We must be very careful that we do not indict people without God’s permission. This is why praying for someone without counsel with God can cause more problems for that person and yourself. With counsel, He will give you His direction of prayer…but never assume that praying according to an individual’s behavior is always the correct way. I have had to learn this the hard way.