If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.
(1 John 4:20-21, NASB)
It’s nearly impossible to truly love and follow God if you have hate in your heart for someone. For a very long time, I couldn’t find my way to really, sincerely loving God because I held a lot of hate, anger, and unforgiveness for those who had hurt me deeply when I was a child and young teenager. That hate and anger, that inability to forgive, kept me far away from God for a very long time.
When I finally recommitted my life and gave it completely to God, one of the first things I did—after confessing my sin—was to ask for Jesus’ help to forgive those who had hurt me. Once I did, I can honestly say I was able to love them. Really love them. But not on my own. No, it was with a supernatural love from God.
I realized then what I know now: Loving my sisters and brothers—even those who hurt me—isn’t an option. I may not love their actions. I certainly don’t condone their sin. But I can still love them with a Christ-like love. My Savior forgave His executors as He hung, broken and beaten, from the very instrument of His death.
If He could do that, how can I do anything less than love others?
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