The One Anothers

Above all else, we are to love one another, but this turns out to be a lot more difficult than it sounds. Everyone nods in agreement that they want to love one another, until it gets difficult. How do we practice love that is other-centered and not self-centered?

Relationships are a wonderful thing. We find companionship, comfort, wisdom, strength, intimacy, and so much more with other people…until conflict happens, that is. But when others hurt or anger us, we sometimes feel excused from loving them if that means speaking the truth with gentle grace, which God has commanded us to do. So is it worth it to push through our fear, hurt, and anger to pursue reconciliation in our relationships? How does God want this process to look in our lives?

Despite the fact that most of us may not like change, and even resist it, there’s probably something in our lives we want to change. Change doesn’t come easily, and trying hard can only accomplish so much. If you really want to see changes in your life, you have to train for it and be challenged by the people closest to you. So what does spiritual training and challenging others in love really look like?

God is for us—not against us, and He wants us to be for each other, not tearing each other down. We all want this kind of encouraging environment, but it takes effort to create and sustain it. How should we be encouraging and building up the people around us as God intended?