loving when you don't want to

I'll go ahead and get the things I have no trouble loving out of the way, because that's the fun stuff:

 

• Jeremy.  Obviously I have to list my husband, but I really think he is truly my soul mate.  I feel like it's been so easy loving him these past 9 years and it's hard to remember my life before him.  It's the little stuff: making me coffee everyday, turning over in the middle of the night and putting his arm over me, the ease of our many conversations throughout the day, how gentle he is as a father, silly jokes that only I get, and playing with my hair when we sit together. 
• My three munchkins.  Oh how easy it is to love M, A, and J.  I have only ever had foster children, but having had these children from birth, I now have no doubt that I love them as much as I would if they were my own biological children.  If you doubt me, become a foster parent! You'll see :)
• My family.  I know we all like to brag on our families as being the greatest, but I'm sorry, I win.  But seriously, I love how tightknit mine and my husbands families are, and consider ourselves uniquely blessed to have such great relationships and support. 
• Friends.  It's so true, that good friends are hard to find.  We've got just a handful of people from here to Miami that have loved us through thick and thin, laughed with us, prayed with us, and continue to be a foundation in our lives. 
• God.  Saved the best for last.  It's easy to love the creator of all things, well...most of the time.  Unless things are not going well and I find myself saying, "really?  you can't just fix that for me this once?"  How selfish I am!

 

On to the hard stuff.  I don't have any insightful commentary on loving your enemies.  I really wish I did because I need it right now.  I really feel God telling me to show love and kindness to those who have wronged me in some way shape or form, but it's really just not that easy.  So, I rely on the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. taken from one of his sermons back in 1957.  Now, HERE is a man, that knows the meaning of love. 

 

Now there is a final reason I think that Jesus says, "Love your enemies." It is this: that love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually transforms individuals. That's why Jesus says, "Love your enemies." Because if you hate your enemies, you have no way to redeem and to transform your enemies. But if you love your enemies, you will discover that at the very root of love is the power of redemption. You just keep loving people and keep loving them, even though they're mistreating you. Here's the person who is a neighbor, and this person is doing something wrong to you and all of that. Just keep being friendly to that person. Keep loving them. Don't do anything to embarrass them. Just keep loving them, and they can't stand it too long. Oh, they react in many ways in the beginning. They react with bitterness because they're mad because you love them like that. They react with guilt feelings, and sometimes they'll hate you a little more at that transition period, but just keep loving them. And by the power of your love they will break down under the load. That's love, you see. It is redemptive, and this is why Jesus says love. There's something about love that builds up and is creative. There is something about hate that tears down and is destructive. So love your enemies.

 

Feel free to read the full transcript here.