Hard to Love?

“If people say, ‘I love God,’ but hate their brothers or sisters, they are liars. Those who do not love their brothers and sisters, whom they have seen cannot love God whom they have never seen.’” 1 John 4:20

Are you hard to love or do you find it hard to love someone you’re not even sure you like? Recently I read the book of Hosea in the Bible where God commands Hosea to go and marry an unfaithful woman and love her. Hosea, the profit, obeys and marries Gomer, who is adulterous. His story parallels God’s unrelenting relationship with Israel. It also made me realize how much He loves me.

Therefore, I must love and forgive people, even if the feelings don’t always exist because that’s what God commands me to do. If Hosea can find a way to love his wife who was a prostitute and made him look like a fool, then surely I can love another person who isn’t as close to me as a spouse.

And if God can love me after all the times I’ve run away from Him, gone my own way and sinned against Him, then surely I can get it through my head that I can love anyone, no matter what they’ve done or how much I feel they’ve offended me. It’s that simple.

The best part of Hosea’s story is how he takes Gomer the prostitute back into his loving arms. God has done the same for me. He’s wooed me back when I don’t deserve it. That’s love. I want to know this kind of love, and I know I can through Him.

He made a promise to Israel and said, “So I am going to attract her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards, and I will make the Valley of Trouble a door of hope.”    Hosea 2:14-15

This touches my heart so deeply. God is tender and sweet. Merciful and full of grace.