Written By: Hannah Kittle
Love. Such a simple, small, seemingly insignificant word. Four letters that express many, many emotions. We see love as something that is rosy, red, enjoyable, and easy to do. While that is true many times, there are other times where we’re in situations or with people that we struggle loving. The Bible talks about how we need to love people and “turn the other cheek.” But what about that guy who says he’s gay or that girl who says she’s bisexual or that girl who’s not actually a girl or that Christian who’s living a double life? How do we address those situations? Furthermore, how do we address those people in love? Dear friend, I know that when these situations happen, your first reaction is probably not, “Oh, I need to love this person despite their sin and let my life and words be a witness to them.” I know that’s certainly not my reaction. Mine is more along the lines of, “Oh my word, this can’t be happening, I can’t have anything to do with this person much less love them.” Do you know what though? The same Christ Jesus who hung on the cross for six hours of agony for my sins of lies, impure thoughts, hate, anger, and a multitude of other things is the same Christ who died to save those people as well.
What does God say about loving these people? It’s a really difficult line to walk between loving the sinner and hating the sin. God calls us to love people, but not accept the choices that are against God and His Word. That raises the question, “how do I differentiate between the person and their sin? They claim this sin as them and their lifestyle with no seemingly no distinction.” Sweet sister, as I type these words, I know the pain, frustration, anger, and bitterness you experience when you go through those experiences. It’s one of the hardest things you’ll ever have to go through. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways. (Isaiah 55:8)” God’s thoughts are far beyond what we can ever comprehend. The way that He thinks about love and the definition He gives to it is far more broad, longsuffering, and forgiving than we can ever show to people.
Does loving these types of people seem impossible? Y.E.S! But is there anything such as mission impossible for God? “For nothing is impossible with God.” (Philippians 4:13) Yes, it’s hard. Yes, you’re going to have moments when you hear them talk about their sinful lifestyle and it causes your heart to bleed, your stomach to hurt, your throat to develop an unswallowable lump, and cry during or after. But with God we can do it. We can love these people and know that even though they’re living a life of sin God still loves them and thus gives us the love to be able to love them in return. Love doesn’t mean that we say that their sin is okay and we simply accept them as being “born this way.” Instead we love them enough to tell them the truth and live out how God wants us to live our lives. Sometimes, love means being tough and telling people the blunt honest truth even though it’s uncomfortable and painful and threatens to ruin our relationship with the person.
In God’s eyes, our sin is all the same. He didn’t create a system of sacrifices that atoned for various sins like in the Old Testament. Instead he created a once for all system. A system that once we accept Christ as the Savior of our lives all our sins, past, present, and future are covered for forevermore. FOREVERMORE! No more will sin have dominion over us. “IT IS FINISHED! Loud He cried, oh what love for me He died. In my stead He bled on Calvary.” (It is Finished) The love that was exhibited on Calvary was the ultimate show that allows us to love others and see them as sinners who need God. We need to seek to look behind the curtain. We need to see these people as sinners who need God just as much as we do. Jesus’ blood covers all of these sins and demonstrates to us the ultimate love that seems impossible. Love isn’t just a feeling, it’s an action. Loving is hard, yes, but never impossible. Let’s seek to look behind the curtain and see these people as fellow sinners who need Christ just as much as we do. Let’s pray that God will move our hearts to have compassion and grace and patience with these people. Pray that God will help us to live a life that honors Him and that through that example others would find Him.
Hannah Kittle is best described as a sinner saved by grace. She currently is a high school senior taking dual-enrollment classes at two different colleges and is headed to nursing. She has a heart for the unsaved, seeks to serve God by serving others, and desires to shine as a light to others to draw them closer to God. Her two life Bible verses are Joshua 1:9 and Jeremiah 29:11-14a
Hannah loves reading, shopping, and being with people whether it be young or old people. She has a calling upon her heart to serve others and to love others even when it’s tough. She believes that God is calling her into nursing or the medical field in general to best accomplish this purpose. She is waiting and praying for the man that God has for her and her heart’s prayer for her life is that others would see Christ through her, her words, and her actions.
Uniquely Yours Ministries 