I heard from a friend whose daughter is livid with them for voting differently than she did.

I watched the news as a “therapist” suggested it’s okay to refuse to go to family gatherings for the holidays if how your family voted upset you.

What?!

Oh Christian, let’s recognize the lie of the evil one in this counsel.

Let’s refuse to take part in this divisive, cancel culture.

Yes, we live among people who aren’t like us and who can be hard to love. 🤨

We all naturally gravitate to our favorites—our comfortable friends, our like-minded-sisters, our holy huddles, where we are loved, and can, without much effort, easily love back.

While those sweet, easy relationships refresh our souls…they are for “times” of refreshing and never meant to be the place we exclusively stay.

We are called to take the love of Christ to those who may not show it or know it. …And oftentimes, that’s not so much the foreign mission trip but the office and the family reunion.

We are called to patiently, relentlessly, graciously, actively interact with and love those who may never, ever, return our love—because that’s what Christ (who we are to model our lives after) did.

It’s not easy.

Oh no! It requires the Lord’s strength and not our own.

But when we do, we will notice the Spirit growing real fruit in us—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Gal 5:22-23).

In fact, we will surprise ourselves when that, which hurt so much before, (insults, rejection, disrespect) just seems to “bounce off” of us with little effect because we have our eye on the prize—to make our Savior known to others for their good and His glory.

As we deliberately stay connected to the source of our strength (Jesus), we really can, in those hard moments look at others and say to ourselves, “Welp, I’m going to love you anyways because that’s exactly what my Savior would do.”

And when we, over and over, love the unlovely, others are drawn to our King.

And friend, that’s God-glorifying, make Kingdom-difference stuff!

Are you ready?
Go love them anyways!

“But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.” (Luke 6:32-36)

bedifferent

loveothers

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