Loving the Unlovely

“If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7

To walk in the light with Jesus as our example we must emulate His journey. While on earth He found His way by staying in the light of His Father. He came with one agenda – to do the will of God. He didn’t move until God initiated the move and He didn’t tarry when God called Him to duty. He moved within the boundary of the Light creating unprecedented fellowship with mankind and serving as the ultimate sacrifice for mankind.

Look at any street light and you will see an arc of light on the ground that the light casts. Standing within that light our sight is sharp and precise but when we move out of that circle we experience the contrast of our cold and black surroundings. Within that light we move in and out in activity with limited restrictions. The same is true while living within the lighted will of God. We will be shown things from above with precise and sharp vision.

Another aspect of the example of Jesus is to love in the Light. Jesus was loved by many during His time on earth but was also hated by many. It is impractical to think that everyone we love will love us in the same way. There have been a few relationships in my own life wherein the more I loved the less I received love. It is not difficult to love when love is returned, but to love those in our lives who are difficult to love is radical love as Jesus demonstrated. He died for us ‘while we were still sinners.’ He loved those who hated Him and put Him to death. He interceded for those who crucified Him as He prayed for God to forgive them.

‘God enables you to love your archenemy. If you can love your enemy at level 10, your capacity to love other persons will increase. All others you have been loving will receive a greater dimension of concern than you have previously been able to give. God can deepen our capacity to love as He enables us to care for the unlovely. When we learn to love on a deeper level, our capacity to love others grows.’ Experiencing God, p. 236.

I have experienced this first hand as I was called to forgive and love over and over again. I was called to show mercy and compassion where there was none to be found for me. I was called to love not based on what I was receiving but what was being asked of me by God. Looking back He was building my character to move me closer to His image. It wasn’t about what the other person deserved, rather God developing my heart for future work in His kingdom. God is all about relationship and growth to accomplish the Kingdom work for which He created us.

Stay in the Light, show mercy, love the unlovely and keep in mind we may be someone else’s ‘unlovely.’