Love Stories

Do you find it hard to love people as Jesus tells us to? I know sometimes I do, and it is especially hard to love people who have hurt you. In John 15:12, Jesus tells us to love people as He loves us. If we know Jesus, we can love others because He lives in us through the Holy Spirit, and His love overflows from us to the people around us. But sometimes sin gets in the way. Sometimes, instead of loving people, we judge them harshly for little things.

I remember one particular time when I should have loved someone, but I thought that, because of their actions, Jesus wouldn’t love them, so I didn’t. I was horribly wrong. Jesus will always forgive a person who turns to Him, no matter how bad the sin was. God deeply loves the person who hurt me. I ruined relationships because of my lack of love. But even though I thought I lost this person, God has brought them back to me. Now I can show this person love so that they can see God through me.

Jesus is the light in the darkness (John 8:12), and He calls us to share His light. We can do this by loving people. I still struggle with loving this person because they hurt me so much, and that’s okay. Jesus offers me grace as I continue healing. And, when people hurt us deeply, forgiving that person doesn’t always mean we need to be in close relationship with them. Sometimes the most loving thing we can do is set up healthy boundaries.

Jesus’s love is so good, and He gives us the opportunity to share it with everyone around us. He can bring healing to even the most broken relationships. • Kari Cuddie

• Can you think of a time you experienced the goodness of Jesus’s love? If not, you can ask Him to reveal His love to you anytime.

• When someone hurts us deeply, what might healthy boundaries look like? If you’re not sure, who can you ask (maybe a parent, teacher, pastor, counselor, youth leader…)?

• If you’ve been hurt deeply and need someone to talk to, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.†John 15:9 (NIV)

Read Verses:

Gen.2.4-Gen.2.25|Song.8.6-Song.8.7|Eph.5.31-Eph.5.32