Loving Others Unconditionally Strengthens Our Walk with God
It's AMAZING how much we can grow through God's grace if we refuse to be moved by our own feelings of being offended, rejected, hurt or angered. This doesn't apply to situations where we're being abused, obviously, when we need to get away to a place of safety.
Following Jesus' commandment to love another, rather than acting from our need to control the situation, exercises the faculty of our will to put our spirit over the material world and follow Jesus. We refuse to follow our self-worship or our body-soul who naturally wants to take charge over our spirit.
The more we deny our self, the stronger our walk with the Holy Spirit (in our spirit) becomes.
The Holy Spirit, who was previously prevented by our self-dominated free will, can then reveal the hurts in our soul, excavate any sin that separates us from God's grace and truly heal us. In fact, I've learned that God's healing can come to us in any situation.
If we act on our faith that God loves us (even if we don't feel it) and believe that God will handle the situation in the BEST possible way, we give up our illusion of control and allow Jesus Christ to take the lead.
We're more able to hear the Holy Spirit's guidance and also make ourselves open to God's blessings :)
This is not fake love, forgiveness or repression. It's very different in nature because we give all troubles and feelings to our loving Heavenly Father, rather than pretend they're not there.
Luke 6:27-36 is the go-to instruction manual on how to love others:
But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
John 3:16-19 talks about God's unconditional love for us.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
