BeLOVE(d)Sample

Day 17 – BE LOVE: The Unlovable

Scripture: Matthew 5:43–48

You may have heard of Céline Dion, the Canadian singer whose song“My Heart Will Go On” became famous through the movie Titanic. Earlier in her career, she released a French song called“S’Il Suffisait D’Aimer,” written by Jean-Jacques Goldman. One line translates to this:

“If all it took was loving each other, I would make of this world a dream, an eternity.”

It sounds beautiful. Almost hopeful. As if love is simple, and the world would be fixed if people would just try harder.

But if love were easy, Jesus wouldn’t have spent so much time talking about it.

Some people are easy to love. People who are kind to you. People who agree with you. People who make life easier. Loving them usually doesn’t cost much. Most people can do that. You don’t need to be a Christ follower to love people who already love you back.

Jesus points this out when He says, “If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?” In other words, that kind of love doesn’t set you apart. It’s normal.

Then Jesus raises the bar.

He talks about loving your enemies. Loving people who hurt you. Loving people who annoy you, bully you, ignore you, or continue to disappoint you. Loving people who don’t deserve it by human standards. That’s where love stops being poetic and starts becoming a choice.

The truth is, loving everyone does not come naturally. If it did, Jesus wouldn’t have commanded it. Even the world agrees that love should be conditional. In fact, the rule in the Satanic Bible is to love only those who love you. So if you only love the “lovable,” you’re not doing anything different from the rest of the world.

What makes a Christ follower stand out is loving beyond that.

That doesn’t mean approving of harmful behavior or pretending pain doesn’t exist. It doesn’t mean allowing yourself to be mistreated. It means choosing not to respond with hate, revenge, or indifference. It means reflecting God’s love in a broken world, even when it costs you something.

To be love means choosing love when it’s uncomfortable. Choosing grace when bitterness would be easier. Choosing to see people the way God sees them, not just by how they treat you.

That kind of love doesn’t come naturally.
It comes from Jesus.

And that’s the love you’re called to live.