I have to love her

One thing I've been super convicted of lately is that Jesus commands me to love everyone.
And that may not seem super surprising to you.. but the everyone part just throws me off a bit.

Because here's my thing, can you really love someone so much at a distance?
Does Jesus stay distant from us? Or does He run to us, embrace, us and love us by spending His presence with us?

My point being, if we really have to love everyone, that means Jesus calls us to be friends with everyone. To be kind to everyone, to spend time with people, to always lend a hand to the broken. And again, that seems basic knowledge..

Until I met her.
Until I met the girl who drives me crazy, who annoys me so much. Until I met the girl that has to look like Barbie and be so vain. Until I met her the girl who makes me feel like crap- the girl who steals away my confidence.

Jesus do I have to love her?
Do I really have to love her?

Because it's hard and it's uncomfortable and it's awkward.
It's frustrating, it's difficult, it would be much easier to let go.

And yet if we truly want to be like Jesus, we have to love like Him.
I know that Jesus doesn't just command us to love cute people, to love nice people, to love people who love us back.

I know that the Jesus I know loved me when I was so unlovable. When I was difficult to please, when I was selfish, when I was a brat- He loved me.

And as Jesus loves me, so I must love.

And I know that Jesus loves her.

I know that Jesus loves the girl who dresses up too much and takes too many pictures. I know Jesus is crazy about the girl who is constantly sleeping with guys. I know that Jesus dances over the girl who doesn't seem to shut up to me.

And I know that if I could see her through the eyes of Jesus, I know I could love her too.

So I have to stop blaming this girl, I have to stop putting the blame on her-- as for the reason I don't love her. I have to stop naming excuses.

Instead I have to take my eyes off of her, off of myself, and I have to look up to the heavens. I have to get to know Jesus again.

Because if I really knew Jesus, I wouldn't be judging her the way I was. So I have to re-meet Jesus, re-visit His kindness and His grace... and then when I see Jesus again, I have to pray to Him.

Jesus change my heart. Jesus change my heart again. Teach me to love like you. Teach me even how to love her.

"Beloved let us love one another because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love" 1 John 4:7,8