Loving well may take time. It is a process of growth. Learning
to speak love into the lives of others is a gift in our lives that
grows with practice. The more I seek to give love, regardless of
someone else’s response, the easier it is.
Being patient and forgiving of those who hurt us is also a
practice that grows in our hearts with time. We start out with
baby steps and grow stronger each time we practice it. And we
find that as Jesus humbles us and shows us our own
selfishness, we are more apt to be forgiving of others.
The older I become, the more mistakes I have made, and the
more humbled I have become. The forgiveness and love of
Jesus mean even more to me now because I see myself as I
really am—and still He loves and forgives me. That amazes me
and makes me much more humble and forgiving to others. It
has been a process of growth over my whole life.
False pride or a critical attitude, “I am better than you!” can be
a detriment to our ability to love others. Jesus said, “He who is
without sin, cast the first stone,” when the Pharisees brought a
prostitute before him to condemn her. Yet, Jesus was saying,
“When you look at your own heart and find that there is not
sin there, then you can judge someone else.”
Criticizing others because we think we are better than them
grieves the heart of Jesus and quenches His spirit’s love
through us.
Jesus honored the man who beat his breast and said, “Oh Lord,
I am a sinner. How can you forgive me?” And He insinuated
that because the man saw His need for God, He came to
redemption. Yet the Pharisee who pat himself on the back for
being righteous, was not commended for his faith—his pride