Discovering Who I Am

Every one of us have people in our lives who are difficult to love. It may be a boss or co-worker. Or they may live closer to home, like a friend, sibling, parent or spouse. They may be struggling with deeply-established life patterns of sin. They may be angry and reacting out of hurt and wounds. Or maybe they are someone we have to interact with regularly who is just downright mean. In many cases we really want to love them, and in all cases, as Christians, we are called to love them– even when they are our enemy. How do I love someone who is unlovable?

First, I have to remind myself that love is a powerful weapon of spiritual warfare. Love is a supernatural force of God which brings life to those who receive it. Second, I have to know that this kind of love is not tied to my emotions. I do not have to “feel” like I love the person; I choose to to love them. Love is a verb. And third (and most important) I have to believe in the invisible. This is what is meant in 1 Corinthians 13:7 where it is written that love believes all things.

This kind of love leads to a revelation of a person’s true identity in Jesus. This kind of belief entails a download from God of His heart for the person and an understanding of how He sees them. I come to know, deep down in my heart, that this individual is more than the brokenness, weakness or meanness they may appear on the outside. With this revelation and understanding comes the energy and endurance I need to love and serve above and beyond my natural ability.

When I believe all things on behalf of another person, I release God’s Spirit into their life to convict them of sin, to heal them of wounds and to draw them to Himself. He fills me with the wisdom of His truth about a person so that I can speak that truth into their life and cut away lies. Isaiah 49:2 says that He made our mouth like a sharpened sword. This sword can cut both ways. We speak out of what we believe, and that either builds a person up in agreement with God, or is a destructive force in their life when we speak out of only what we see in the natural.

All we need do is ask Him, “Who do You see when you look at this person?”

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue…” Proverbs 18:21