What do I mean by that? Well, there are people in this world who are hard to love. And God puts those people in our lives. Why? To teach us to love sacrificially. To teach us that it is not about us, to teach us that sometimes, even daily, we are called to love as Jesus did. Sometimes we feel that the person does not deserve it. But Agape love, the kind Jesus has for us, says they do, and we can.

First, we cannot be worried about ourselves. We cannot try to love someone through our own need or want. Loving someone with Agape love starts with a humble heart before God. Then it has to expect nothing in return. In other words, there may not be a pat on the back for something.
Often it is not even recognized when we love this way.

God loves us for no reason. We in ourselves have nothing good to give to him. We are born sinners at birth, left to our own devices, most of us tend to be selfish, we want things our way, yesterday! It is all about me! My needs, my wants, my desires, my being comfortable and happy.

We find the perfect reflection of God’s love in the Cross. Jesus poured out His blood for us, He took the punishment for our sins upon Himself, and He never uttered a word…except to say, “Father forgive them, they know not what they do.”

Some people, either because of circumstances in life, conditions, or just stubbornness, and selfishness do not know how to give love. For whatever reason, their love meter has not got any higher numbers on it. It is like you are banging your head on a wall over and over with the same result. Hurt, pain, and disappointment. The only way we can love sacrificially is by the power of the Holy Spirit. By walking daily with the Lord, reading His word, learning His ways, and trusting Him to fill those empty spots that are left by the world and others.

It is rare when love is returned the way it is given. The best thing is to have no expectation that it will be. We love because He loves us. When you expect something and it does not happen you have set yourself up for disappointment. You simply do the right thing, love the right way, and leave the rest to God. He will reward you and bless you for what you do. He will cover all the areas that need covering and fill you with all you need to keep going.

In our world today too many people refuse to love if you do not agree with them. If you cannot affirm them in the way they think you should see it as hate. We were warned in scripture that those things that are right would become wrong, and the wrong things right in the last days. People are all about themselves and their feelings these days. If nothing else this pandemic and the hardness of 2020 has revealed the content of everyone’s hearts.

I will leave you with a few. verses to meditate on. If you find that you are struggling to love sacrificially, fall. on your knees before God, ask him to fill you up and to help you move out of the way, so that you can love as He has told us we should. Let him fill up all those places that are barren and in need, and I promise that He will, and He can.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever. believes on him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” or Wife, or Husband, or Sister, or Brother, or neighbor…..

1 John 3:16 “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.”

John 13:34-35 “I give you a new commandment to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.”

Galatians 5:14 “For the whole law can be summed up in this one command, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Wife, Husband, Friend, Sister, Brother….You get the idea.

Why don’t today you ask the Lord to help you love as He loves. To give when you feel you cannot, and remember that He is watching and He is the rewarder of those who obey Him.

Blessings!