“Our love must be characterized by a responsiveness that not only loves God but also all those He places in our path.” Page 89 emphasis added

The story is told that John Newton, while he was working along, always welcomed people who came to see him. He would invite them in and basically say, “Let’s find out why God has brought you to me today.” He saw every moment with others as a “divine appointment.” That is a bit convicting for me. Too often, I see people who come to me as a hindrance to what I am trying to get accomplished. They are getting in my way of my agenda. Not exactly pouring out love, am I?

As a Christian who values the sovereignty of God, it is amazing how I forget that He places people in my path. I often get so focused on doing something for God that I forget to pay attention to what He is doing. We are to be a people characterized by love. No one on the planet has been more loved, so this same love should just pour out of us into the lives of everyone we meet. What gets in the way?

Loving God I get. I don’t always do it, but I understand that is important. Loving people, real, sinful people, that is a bit more difficult. To be honest, my struggle comes from the fact that I want my way and difficult people don’t want to do things my way. I have to die to my own wants in order to love the way I have been loved. While I want the results of such a love, I don’t always want to sacrifice like that.

What will help me? Only God. What does it look like?

I need to dig deep into Scripture and pray for wisdom to see His heart toward me. I need to plead with the Holy Spirit to open my eyes to apprehend the amazing love that surpasses knowledge.

“and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:19

With diligence on my part and the illuminating work of the Spirit in my life, only then will I have the ability to love others even when they are difficult. Only then will I see how difficult I have been and how God loves me. That well is deep and will flood over into my relationships with others. I pray this for me and for you. Who do you struggle to love? Who does God have in your life right now to help you see this point?

Tags: Compelled By Love, difficult people, divine appointment, God's sovereignty, Gospel, John Newton, love