Loving people isn't as easy as you think when they don't love you back

Some say love isn’t supposed to be easy. But whose idea was that? Who got to decide that love was something that you had to fight for? I would like to meet that person. I say that’s a lie because love is easy. That’s the problem. It’s too easy. People feel love so fast they become overwhelmed. The problem with love is how easily it comes to the human being. It rushes over us until we can’t stand it any longer. So love is easy. The hard part is loving people who never return the same to you.

When I was young the Beatles sang, "All you need is love." I was reminded often growing up, that I was wanted and loved even before I was conceived. I didn't grow up in a perfect family but I knew that I was loved by them even when I wasn't good.

There's a compelling feeling inside our hearts to love those who already love us— but what about those that don't show us love? How do we feel about the stranger or friend that stole from us or continually harms us? How do we respond to the poor orphan nearby or clear across the world? What about that family member that we haven't been at peace with for awhile? What about our employers and co-workers? How do we react to those that believe differently than we do?

We say we love people but if loving the unloveable is so easy why did God find it necessary to command us to love our neighbor as ourselves?

We say we love God but if loving God is so easy why did God feel the need to command us to love him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength?

Love isn't as easy as we think when it comes to the unloveable, cantankerous individuals we have to deal with today. Love is messy. Love is complicated. Love is exhausting. Love can cost a lot. I agree, in my mind the only answer is to remember Jesus' example and the commandment that he says is the greatest of all.

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40

Do you have someone in your life that is unloveable? My suggestion is to love the anyway. Do good by them in spite of the way they act. God is keeping a record and one day it will be with it all.