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Loving Others: The 3 Communities We Struggle to Love

Loving Others: The 3 Communities We Struggle to Love

Christina Desiderio
Love Letters Series

Loving our neighbor boils down to loving anyone that’s not ourselves. We find it easy to express our love for people living in homeless shelters, we volunteer at community centers, and by doing a good deed here or there. Although, there is something about loving those within our immediate community that presents a great struggle.

FAMILY

Our family members know what buttons to push, when, and for how long, which may cause us to struggle in loving them the way Christ intends. For it is impossible to love God and not love the people right in front of us (1 John 4:20).

In following the commands of loving our immediate family found in God’s word, we can further express our love for our family members by learning their love language (Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Receiving Gifts, Quality Time, and Physical Touch). Learning each other's love language allows us to love, serve, and communicate with one another as well as prevent the feelings of rejection, abandonment, and orphanism from entering the heart. To discover your love language, feel free to take the Five Love Languages Quiz in the list of resources provided below.

Another way to love our family members is through technology. If your family does not live close by or in the same city as you, keep in touch with a phone call or video chat. You never want to get a call that someone you have not spoken to in three to five years has passed away. Those types of phone calls can be some of the most devastating calls. If you have fallen out with a family member, try reconnecting with them. Start with forgiving them, then work on building a new foundation of love for that family member.

COLLEAGUES

Colleagues can be a struggle to love too. If you’ve ever said to yourself, “Whooo! If I wasn’t saved saved!", when dealing with a colleague, you know the struggle is real. Part of loving our neighbor is extending the same love and compassion we have for our family to our colleagues.

Why? Because whether you work in a corporate or nonprofit sector, Christian or non-Christian, you work in an environment with humans who are just as flawed as you. The workplace is full of broken, lost, and hurting people, the un-churched, the backslidden, people with various faith backgrounds, etc. Due to the delicate nature of the workplace, we want to approach our colleagues with the same love, grace, and mercy Jesus extended to us (Ephesians 4:32).

Now, I’m not saying lay your life down by way of death, but with compassion and empathy. Try to see your colleague’s perspective during conflict or disagreements. Think before you speak. And when you do speak, speak with grace and truth. The idea is not to win the argument but to keep the peace. For where there are quarreling and strife, no one can see God (Hebrews 12:14). When we love our colleagues like Jesus, they will know we are His disciples (John 13:34-35).

Also, pray for your colleagues and forgive them often, as they may not be aware they are doing anything wrong. Correct them with grace and truth if the opportunity presents itself. When dealing with intentionally spiteful colleagues, continue to love, pray for them, and kill them with genuine kindness. It will drive them crazy. Trust me, I know. Lastly, always remember, God fights our battles even in the workplace (Romans 12:17 – 21).

THE SAINTS

Jesus did not come for the healthy but the sick (Mark 2:17). We all need to be healed, delivered (deliverance coupled with therapy in some cases), and set free. For some, the sanctification process may take longer than others. (Ephesians 4:2-3). And if we're honest with ourselves, we are still going through the sanctification process. Therefore, we must be patient with other believers as they too, work out their salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).

When it comes to loving the Saints, we are to love one another; build up one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11); encourage one another (Hebrews 3:13). Have compassion for one another, and pull each other up out of the fire (Jude 1:22-23). Be our brother’s keeper and bear each other's burdens, not forsaking our fellowship with one another (Hebrews 10:24-25).

One of the ways I’ve learned to love the saints is by praying to see them and love them through the eyes of Jesus Christ. And eventually, my heart will catch up😉 (1 Samuel 16:7). Praying this prayer has allowed me to love through the toughest situations, extending forgiveness, love, grace, and mercy toward my brothers and sisters in the body of Christ.

MOVING FORWARD IN LOVE:

So, how can we do better when it comes to loving those in our immediate communities? First, we must know what love is and what it is not. In 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8, Paul gives us the perfect layout of what love looks like and what it does not look like. Paul says, “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails…” (1 Corinthians 13: 4-8)

Second, examine your heart by asking yourself, “am I patient? Am I kind?…” concerning the people in your immediate community. Pray, and ask God how you can love your immediate community with the same love Jesus has for you and you have for yourself. Third, let love be without hypocrisy. Love and honor one another. Be humble and value others above yourself. (Romans 12:9-13; Philippians 2:3).

Until next week, be encouraged and love those within your immediate community with bold love!

Here are a few resources to assist you in loving your immediate community:

The Greatest Love Triangle

The Greatest Love Triangle
Loving Ourselves: 3 Ways To Love Yourself Better

Loving Ourselves: 3 Ways To Love Yourself Better

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