Joyce Meyer - Loving People Who Are Hard to Love: Transforming Your World by Learning to Love Unconditionally

I dont think it is a secret that our world today is facing huge problems. There is more anger, hatred, violence, lack of peace, lack of real love, and turmoil than I have ever seen. I am not ancient, but I am seventy-eight years old, as of the writing of this book, so Ive lived through a few decades. Of course, in every decade there are problems, but not as many or perhaps even as serious as the ones we face today.

Martin Luther King Jr. said, We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. I believe this observation applies today perhaps even more than when he said it in 1964. When he made this statement, he was speaking about racial issues, but I believe it is perfect for the challenges we face today, which include not only racial issues but also mass shootings, random acts of violence, hate crimes, abortion, gender confusion, and a shocking increase in reports of mental illness and suicide, especially among young people.

What is the answer to the challenges we deal with in the world right now? Its certainly not that someone else needs to do something to change the situations we face. Each of us must do what needs to be done to change what we can change. We must learn to live in peace and walk in love. And we absolutely must learn to love people who are hard to love, which includes most of us, because we can all be difficult for others to love, at least at times. Love is much more than a feeling; it is how we treat people.

When I began to think about writing this book on loving people who are hard to love, I also thought about people who are easy to love. I concluded that I may know two people who are so easy to love that I do not have to make any effort to love them. But if I knew these people better, I might have to exclude them too.

Unless we become really good at not being easily offended and extending forgiveness to those who hurt us, I dont think there is any hope for peace and unity in the world. If youd like to know what Gods Word says about this, I have included in the appendix to this book a list of Scripture references that will help you forgive and find freedom from offense.

Satan has a plan for humanity, and sadly, at this point in history, many people seem to be playing along with it. His plan is to divide and conquer, because he knows that if people dont unite, he can defeat us. According to Ephesians 6:12, we are in a spiritual war, not a natural one. The only way we can win this battle is to truly love one another, because I believe the Bible teaches that love is a form of spiritual warfare.

Romans 12:21 says that we overcome evil with good. Romans 13:12 teaches us to put on the armor of light, and only light can dispel the darkness that prevails today. To live in the light is to live as Jesus lived, and He is love (1 John 4:8). He loves everyone with no exceptionseven those who are hard to love.

In Colossians 3:1415, Paul urges us, And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful ( ESV ).

What does it mean to put on love? It means to love on purpose. This sounds so simple if we would just do itlove people, live in peace, and be thankful. But we run into the problem that some people are hard to love, and too often we dont want to do what is hard, so we follow our emotions (feelings) and let the devil have his way. Then we complain about the conditions in the world and think someone should do something. But we rarely think we should be that someone.

If you are looking for an easy way to love people who are hard to love, I must tell you from the beginning that I dont know of one. But I can tell you that when we do something difficult because we love Jesus and want to obey Him, we not only please God but we grow spiritually, becoming more and more like Jesus.

I do believe the worlds problems can be solved, but it will require each of us doing our part. It will necessitate our becoming peacemakers and being willing to make loving others a priority in our lives. This begins at home and spreads from there. I ask you here, in the introduction to this book, to apply its message to yourself, not merely to others. Be willing to see your own faults, not simply those of other people.