How to Walk in Love You Don’t Feel

 

You may ask, if God knew that so much of our effectiveness depended on our ability to love others, than why make so many people so hard to love?  The truth is God will never give us a command that is strictly emotion based. If he has called us to do something in the word of God, by his grace, he has equipped us to accomplish that very thing. In the case of love he provided a list of action based filters in 1 Corinthians 13. Using these filters you could walk in love towards the Grinch himself should the need arise.

 

1) Patience: When in doubt pray it out. Sometimes we are dealing with someone who keeps disappointing us maybe in the same way over and over. Before addressing that person take that issue each time to the Lord in prayer and remember to handle them the same way you want God to handle you when you make mistakes. No one can disappoint us as much has we have disappointed him. Who better to talk you through this?

 

2) Kindness: We cannot control how people treat us but we can decide how we will respond. Turning the other cheek is not a sign of weakness when you choose to let God fight your battles he will allow you to appropriately handle that person with out compromising your integrity

 

3) No Boasting or Pride: Survey the conversations you have been having with the people in your life. Do you start each conversation with something great in your life or do you ask about how they are doing with genuine interest? Does every conversation you have with others remind you of your own personal accomplishments? Enough said.

 

These are just a few of the filters the word provides for us in 1 Corinthians. Walking in love towards difficult people and navigating difficult relationships takes time. prayer, and a willing heart. With Gods mercy and grace it its possible.