How is your love life?
Relationships can be messy. Conflicts are inevitable. With all the division, quarreling and misunderstandings going on today, there seems to be only one real remedy–love.
Love your friends. Love your family and your supporters. But don’t forget to love those who disagree with you. And love your enemies–those who persecute you, criticize you and lie about you. Pray for them. Love them. Especially those who disagree with you–even if they are wrong.
Pray and ask the Lord for wisdom and patience. He will show you how best to handle each situation. If there is abuse involved, remove yourself from that situation. If you need help, get it.
But if a person is merely annoying you, making you angry, cover that person in prayer. The Lord may give you insight as to why they are being so disagreeable. God may tell you to bind the evil spirits that are deceiving that person. Bind them in Jesus’ mighty Name. Then ask God to send that person witnesses to the truth, witnesses to whom they will listen. Declare by faith a spirit of love over your irritant.
” Receive this truth: Whatever you forbid on earth shall be considered to be forbidden in heaven. and whatever you release on earth will be considered to be released in heaven.” Matthew 18:18 (TPT)
Many times the Lord will choose not to deliver us from trouble immediately but rather uphold us through that trial. His goal is to develop our strength of character and endurance. Our character is more important to God than our comfort level.
Endurance means patience, perseverance. Patience can be defined as love on trial, love refined and pure, selfishness conquered. This trial of love could be painful, but the fruit of it is worth it Let patience have its perfect work.
Let’s see what our love life should look like. This is what God says He is working to develop in us.
Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s LOVE in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything without weakening! Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (AMPC)
Unconditional love that is patient and kind, not self-centered–that kind of love never fails! God says so. And He is always right. He is LOVE Himself.
So agree with God. Stop complaining about that person who irritates you. They may be just the sandpaper you need to smooth out your own rough edges. Start calling yourself and your irritant patient and kind with each other. Say that you are ever ready to believe the best about each other. Be not touchy, fretful or resentful. Take no offense with each other. Instead, be quick to forgive. Say these powerful words from the Bible out loud each day, and watch your relationships change. God-given words spoken by a believer have great power and authority. They have healed many a relationship, many a marriage.
And in the meantime, if someone refuses to love you back–even after all your patience and kindness–just bless them and get on with your life. Give them grace–not what they deserve. No resentment. No bitterness from you. You go free from any burden of hatred or offense.
How is it possible to love the unlovable? Only by the Spirit of God. If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, His Spirit lives inside you. Let Him have free rein in your life. Let Him love the people through you. Be His love letter. Ask Him to help you. Love is really the only answer.