Have you ever struggled to love someone when they were sinning against you? Romans 5:5 says, “And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
At the moment we receive Jesus Christ as our personal savior, we are endowed with his sacrificial love. Therefore, when our heart is wounded by someone’s sin against us, we are empowered to extend God’s love that was poured into our hearts.
Our flesh often rebels, and we nurse our emotional pain instead of releasing it through forgiveness. That is when we get into trouble. Buried offenses fester, allowing bitterness to easily slip in.
God’s perfect way is the opposite of our fleshly ways. In order to freely impart God’s love to others we have to sacrifice our flesh. It requires humbling our heart in order to represent Jesus in our thoughts, words, and actions.
I am speaking from experience. As a child I learned to stuff my emotional pain. It was not until I was in my mid 30’s that I learned to forgive with the same forgiveness which I received through Jesus’ death.
Father, I am so grateful that you poured your unconditional love into my heart at salvation. Thank you for giving me the privilege to be your representative, by extending your love when others hurt me. Help me to always walk in your way, and not give into fleshly reactions that would tarnish your name. Amen.
Throughout this day: Make some quiet time to ask God to bring to mind anyone that you are not loving as he wants you to. Ask him to give you a fresh reminder of how much he loves you, and the spiritual empowerment to love these people in that same way.