I Don't Have to Like You to Love You
What does it mean to “like” someone?
For this post, “like” means the natural and genuine ability to feel comfort, fondness, and affection for someone. It also includes enjoying or looking forward to being around certain people. Like is a feeling that can come and go.
Then there’s Love.
This blog discusses the type of love God has commanded humans to have for one another.
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself." Luke 10:27.
God gave it as a command because it does not require affection. It doesn’t require feelings at all, which is why we can have it for our enemies.
Just as you don’t have to feel like doing the right thing in order to do it, the type of love this post is talking about can be exercised based on logic and facts.
The Creator of human beings has given us specific instructions on how to love one another, whether we like someone or not. Feelings may or may not accompany that love, but they’re not required. However, in order to be committed to this type of love, you must love the one who is love, i.e., God Almighty.
For those new to a relationship with the ALMIGHTY through HIS Son, the primary feeling for the ALMIGHTY may only be reverence or fear of what HE’s capable of.
Christ taught, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” That’s found in Matthew 10:28.
However, to know the ALMIGHTY is to love HIM, so as we persevere on the path HE teaches us, our love for HIM grows into deep affection, so deep that it hurts us to hurt HIM and motivates us not to. Yet, in the beginning, it’s about simply following HIS instructions or commands, aka obedience. This is one reason we don’t have to like someone to love them.
But what about the command to love God? Well, if you’re wondering how you can love anyone or anything with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind without strong affection or feelings involved, college may be a good analogy.
Many students do not attend college because they love school but because it is expected of them and/or the advantages of having a degree. However, those who are truly successful in college immerse themselves in it. It takes over their lives. Many may never grow to love it; they want to get it over with and graduate.
But, the opposite is true with God because, again, to know HIM is to love HIM, and the longer we persevere in obedience to HIM, the better we can know HIM.
It never ceases to amaze me what people are willing to do for what the world offers and what they’re not willing to do for the honor and privilege of being a part of the ALMIGHTY SOVEREIGN of the universe.
Hopefully, the college analogy gives you some understanding of how we can obey this great commandment despite feelings. But again, for those who persevere, the feelings will eventually accompany the act. Although, one should never rely on feelings because feelings come and go. The enemy can wreak havoc in the lives and minds of those who don’t understand that.
I will discuss that point in another post. However, if you don’t want to wait, my first book, Feelings Come & Go. It's available on Amazon for some insain price, but you can also find it using the link below at a price that makes sense.
Two things to keep in mind as you read it. 1) it was my first book. I’ve grown a great deal as a writer since it was published. It could use revision. 2) It was written primarily for adolescents. Nevertheless, it’s a powerful little book for any reader seeking to understand why they feel what they feel and what can be done about it.
See the link below.
https://www.lulu.com/shop/moriel-randolph/feelings-come-go/paperback/product-1dd9vrq.html?page=1&pageSize=4