Pondering in the heart

[mizzdy]

Isn't to Love to Hate also? For example, you could Love someone but Hate their destructive behaviors.

Yes there are things God hates . . . but that was not the focus of my pondering.

Hating your enemy is easy. Loving your enemy takes work.

Thats the crux of it all isn't it? Love requires action, an effort to do something, a commitment, to show something or give to another person. Hate can be very impersonal with no action but words well unless one has violent intentions that is. When I have said I hated someone it was easy to dismiss them from my life yet to love someone requires that I make an effort, to do for someone else, and put myself out there to be hurt, my heart and mind is connected to the person. Hate closes one off hardens the heart which shuts down interaction and that gives one reason not to push yourself or make an effort.

[Guest brieye30]

my question is in all this where do you find true love with a human ( like a mate). i'm 29 bout to be 30 and i just haven't found that right one. and i don't know how to find true love. if anyone could tell me i would like to know is love out there. i am wondering why a guy like me is still single and has never been married?

[nebula]

In saying this, I am not in any way suggesting that my actions are right (they are wrong) and nor am I suggesting that everyone does this.

Hate is a protective shield for me. Loving someone means to allow them to see me for who I am and it's dirty and dark in there. I'd just rather they didn't see. Loving rather than hating takes more energy and selflessness and I am greedy and self centered. Hating can keep people at a safe distance. Hating protects my selfishness.

Thanks for sharing Andy.

This is more of what I was hoping for . . . making this personal.

It took a lot of courage to admit this.

[Matthitjah]

my question is in all this where do you find true love with a human ( like a mate). i'm 29 bout to be 30 and i just haven't found that right one. and i don't know how to find true love. if anyone could tell me i would like to know is love out there. i am wondering why a guy like me is still single and has never been married?

Look in the mirror bro. It starts right there. A Marriage is about being selfless.

[Matthitjah]

In saying this, I am not in any way suggesting that my actions are right (they are wrong) and nor am I suggesting that everyone does this.

Hate is a protective shield for me. Loving someone means to allow them to see me for who I am and it's dirty and dark in there. I'd just rather they didn't see. Loving rather than hating takes more energy and selflessness and I am greedy and self centered. Hating can keep people at a safe distance. Hating protects my selfishness.

Thanks for sharing Andy.

This is more of what I was hoping for . . . making this personal.

It took a lot of courage to admit this.

Andy has hit the nail on the head and it's something the Lord has been working me over about lately.

How do you Love someone who is utterly unloveable? It's often very easy to Love the well dressed, clean, and sweet smelling person in the Pew next to you. They are even Loving back and agreeable. Especially when you see them week to week and begin to have a relationship with them and find them very likeable and even loveable in a family way within the Body.

Yet, even they don't see the real you nor you the real them.

Now, take that same situation to the Street amongst the Homeless, how do you Love someone who smells of urine and hasn't bathed in weeks? How do you Love them when they are utterly unloveable and in fact tell you that they don't particularly like you because your a Christian?

I think that if we actually saw the real people we were sitting next to week in and week out at Church that we would find them as unloveable as the homeless man who is in fact being real.

Love is lived not in living our lives but living the Life of God within us.

Jesus was utterly selfless.

Peace,

Dave

[BFP]

I'm not even sure why I am going to write this, but I am...I'm not even sure where this is going...but I'll start anyway...Neb, your question made me think about a whole lot of things in my own life. Things that i have asked the Lord to show me for years, asked for answers to for years...but it seems like one step forwar is tow steps back on a consitant basis.

I can love the terrible older man down the road that the neighbors warned me about when we moved in. As a matter of fact, to me it was a challenge...and I had alot of fun befriending this particular man because everyone else knows him to be miserable and terrible. These days I am the only person on the road that he will stop and say hello to...and I like him fine!

But you know, I have someone in my life that I just cannot love...and I should love him...I try to love him...I beg God to give me the ability to love him, and there are some times I really do love him but then he will pull off some crazy stunt that puts me right back at square one...andgy, resentful, ashamed, guilt ridden, and hurt. I can't say I hate him, but i hate everyting he does on a day to day basis, I hate everything he stands or, I hate the choices he makes.

I keep asking myself what Jesus would do in my situation, and I really don't have any answers...the best one I can come up with is "Avoid the very appearance of evil."

I feel like this problem is the ultimate test from God and I am so afraid to fail it, but I do fail it...I get so angry!

And it's so funny, because of all my weaknesses, hatred is not one of them...I can love most anybody, and I do.

But I got this one little issue...why is this that I cannot just go by the grace of God and love this ONE person unconditionally. Still looking for answers:>)

[Blien]

my question is in all this where do you find true love with a human ( like a mate). i'm 29 bout to be 30 and i just haven't found that right one. and i don't know how to find true love. if anyone could tell me i would like to know is love out there. i am wondering why a guy like me is still single and has never been married?

I'm single and never been married. I'm 27.. check out a book by Derek Prince called "God Is A Matchmaker". He'll show you that marriage was God's idea.. and that he talks about marriage in every book of the Bible. So have faith in Him.. the time will come but seek first the Kingdom and His Righetousness..

[~candice~]

BFP

Loving others can be really difficult. I often get distracted, but this thread has reminded me of the importance of love.

Mat 22:37-39 MKJV Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

1Co 13:2 ESV And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

I am so guilty of this. I enjoy working out the mysteries of Christ, but I do need to be reminded that love is more important. Maybe I should ring my Mum .

[Blien]

I'm not even sure why I am going to write this, but I am...I'm not even sure where this is going...but I'll start anyway...Neb, your question made me think about a whole lot of things in my own life. Things that i have asked the Lord to show me for years, asked for answers to for years...but it seems like one step forwar is tow steps back on a consitant basis.

I can love the terrible older man down the road that the neighbors warned me about when we moved in. As a matter of fact, to me it was a challenge...and I had alot of fun befriending this particular man because everyone else knows him to be miserable and terrible. These days I am the only person on the road that he will stop and say hello to...and I like him fine!

But you know, I have someone in my life that I just cannot love...and I should love him...I try to love him...I beg God to give me the ability to love him, and there are some times I really do love him but then he will pull off some crazy stunt that puts me right back at square one...andgy, resentful, ashamed, guilt ridden, and hurt. I can't say I hate him, but i hate everyting he does on a day to day basis, I hate everything he stands or, I hate the choices he makes.

I keep asking myself what Jesus would do in my situation, and I really don't have any answers...the best one I can come up with is "Avoid the very appearance of evil."

I feel like this problem is the ultimate test from God and I am so afraid to fail it, but I do fail it...I get so angry!

And it's so funny, because of all my weaknesses, hatred is not one of them...I can love most anybody, and I do.

But I got this one little issue...why is this that I cannot just go by the grace of God and love this ONE person unconditionally. Still looking for answers:>)

BFP, I am in the same boat as you. I love some people so much but the very things they do I hate with a passion. I really want to be with that person but the things they do, causes me to stay away from them.. but I really desire to be with them! A paradox!

The first time I was in a situation like this, this is the thought that came to my mind. "This must be how God felt with us before Jesus died on the Cross"... I dont know if it's true but that's what I belive.

[Blien]

BFP

Loving others can be really difficult. I often get distracted, but this thread has reminded me of the importance of love.

Mat 22:37-39 MKJV Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

1Co 13:2 ESV And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

I am so guilty of this. I enjoy working out the mysteries of Christ, but I do need to be reminded that love is more important. Maybe I should ring my Mum .

Amen Andy, right on!