Love them anyway
What if there is someone among your friends that you struggle to like? It could be something as simple as they talk too much. Maybe this person just rubs you the wrong way. Suppose they are always saying negative things or griping and complaining about everything.
You know that person….right?
What Do You Do?
So, what do you do about it? Do you avoid them at all costs? Do you exclude them from your group or gatherings? Maybe you hope and pray that person just won’t show up. Besides, you want to have fun and enjoy the time with friends, not be bothered or irritated by that person.
Really???
“Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;” Romans 12:10, NKJV
Tenderly Love One Another
We are to tenderly love one another with the love of a brother or sister. ‘In honor’ means price or worth. A person should hold value in the eyes of the beholder. Each one is valued by God and we as Christians should value one another more than ourselves. ‘Giving preference’ is to lead by example. We should pass on the right example to others.
Be an Example
What type of example or leader are we if we are rude or neglect someone else? How does it make the other person feel? How is a person that has the love of God supposed to behave? 
Following are a few verses from the Bible that remind us of what love is:
“Love suffers long and is kind.” I Corinthians 13:4 NKJV
“Love does not behave rudely,” I Corinthians 13:5a NKJV
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” I John 4:7-8 NKJV
“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” I John 4:11 NKJV
The word “ought” here means that we are required or obligated to love one another.
Agape Love
The love that is spoken of in the New Testament in these verses is agape. The definition of agape is “an undefeatable benevolence and unconquerable goodwill that always seeks the highest good of the other person, no matter what he or she does”. It is given freely without asking anything in return. God loves everyone as should we. We are to be unselfish in our love and consider the other person, not ourselves.
Lead By Example
Lead by example, showing the love of God to everyone. Often we are not aware of those watching, but I think we forget the most important One
watching is God. How disappointed He must be when we treat one of His children with disdain and neglect. Show compassion and love for each other. Let us be the one to show Jesus’ love to others.
Paula Wallace
