Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 1 Corinthians 13:4-5
Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and men. Proverbs 3:3-4
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 1 John 4:16
For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. Colossians 1:16
O Lord, how many are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all; The earth is full of Your possessions. Psalm 104:24
For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Romans 1:20
“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.
He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 5:43-48
Jesus teaches us that there is no greater commandment than to love God with all our heart and to love each other. It took a lot of work for me personally to learn how to do that.
I’ve been a believer for so many years and I carried heathy burden of unforgiveness for years.
I read this Bible verse (Matthew 5:43-48) so many times and, yet, I continued living in pain blaming others for what they had done. Only when I fully grasped the concept of God’s love and His plan for me, was I able to embrace every person from my past and embrace every experience that they had given me.
The truth is, our life journey is always leading us to something new- new knowledge, experiences and new “us”. I believe, we are destined to meet certain people at a different time in our life and, I truly believe, that they will teach us important things that will shape us moving forward.
Therefore, whether the person we meet gives us good or bad experiences- in the end, it’s all good. We grow through pain and we learn how to forgive, accept others for who they are and we also learn a lot about ourselves too.
Once I accepted every person from my past with gratitude and the experience that they had given me as something that I really needed, I became a different person. I really did. I felt like that heavy weight came off my shoulders and peace entered my heart. It felt like I did the right thing. I overcame my pride and opened up my heart to something beautiful and pure.
It only took me 15 years to realize the importance of forgiveness. It’s such an important and challenging step towards our growth.
God is so beautiful and so pure. If we keep looking at Him, He will transform us and make us “new”. He will always give us a chance and we should also give others a chance too. Forgiveness and acceptance brings us closer to God for his is LOVE!
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