Why should I love the unlovely? Because I’m lovely in the inside, of course.
Love the Unlovely Because God Does
God loves the unlovely. That’s why He loves me, and you. That’s why Jesus came to die for us. The Lovely for the unlovely.
You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.
Matthew 5:43-47 MSG
Love the Unlovely Because You are Lovely
Why should I love the unlovely?
Because when I act unlovely it comes from something unlovely inside of me. And when I act lovely it’s because I’m lovely in the inside.
Love the unlovely, but not because they deserve it. Love them because you deserve it.
Love them because that is the way of Life for you. This is your true self.
Love them because as long as you hate them back they will never change. And neither will you.
Love them because you don’t want to get lost on the Way of Death. That’s not who you were meant to be.
In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.
Matthew 5:48 MSG
How to Love the Unlovely
You’re probably asking yourself this – how in the world do I do THAT? It isn’t easy, but it is possible. And it is powerful.
Learning to love the unlovely transformed me. I wrote about the process in my book, Making Peace with Prickly People and the companion devotional, Mindful (affiliate links).
Peace, Lovely!