I was in a restaurant recently,and the person who was taken our order had a mannerism that was off -putting,not pleasing or likable,not a person you would want to give a tip to.I was not the only one in our group who thought that,we commented on her,in a negative way.It was later I felt convicted by the Holy Spirit,and prayed for forgiveness,and asked the Lord to help me love the unlovely.Our Saviour showed love to many unlovely people,in Matthew 8 we read how our Saviour reached out and touched a man,we may say so what, well it wasn't just any man ,he was a leper.Even today in some countries there is a great stigma attached to anyone with leprosy.No one would have touched that leper,but Jesus did,and He also healed him.(I am not saying that lepers are not nice people)There are unlovely people everywhere even in the Christian church ,why should we love these people,because Jesus loves them,and He tells us we must love them,He tells us that we are to love our enemies ,and pray for those who persecute us. ( Matthew 5 v 44).It is easy to love nice people,but a real challenge to love those who are not nice,but that's the challenge we face.There are 4 different words for love in Greek, stergein that word describes family love ,then there is eros that can mean physical love,next there is philia love describes real love that is warm and affectionate,lastly their is agape ,it is to love those who do not love us,it does not mean that we let people do what they want to us but as William Barclay says by God's grace to not strike back or seek vengence.Let us never forget that God loves the ungodly,that was us but He still loved us.
'Thy foes might hate ,dispise ,revile,
Thy friends unfaithful prove;
Unwearied in forgiveness still,
Thy heart could only love.'
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