Can I Really Love Someone I Don’t Like? Ep. 1387: Christian Questions Podcast

[00:04:56] Sure, love is patient, but what does that really mean?

[00:11:29] Do we ever feel superior to those we don't really like?

[00:19:02] How do we not get caught up in all the drama that comes with people who irritate us?

We all know God IS love, and that because He loves His human creation, He sent Jesus to redeem us all from sin and death. We also know Jesus taught us to love our enemies and to pray for those people who despitefully take advantage of us. So, according to the gospel, love is a clear centerpiece of how God’s plan works and how we are to emulate Jesus in relation to our enemies. But what about those people we just may not like? You know, those individuals who are just irritating, who might see the world differently than we do and who always seem to be on the other side of issues. Can we just tolerate them – just “go along to get along” – or do we have to “love” them? If we do have to love them, what does that even look like?

The first step towards understanding and applying this concept is recognizing that love is absolutely central to God’s plan. 1 Corinthians 13 is known as “the love chapter,” as it gives several pointed descriptions of how the benevolent and selfless kind of agape love (https://youtu.be/mxpbiV5_2qg) behaves. The fact that most of us don’t have what we would consider to be mortal enemies doesn’t mean we don’t struggle with loving individuals who irritate us or hold opposing views.

Positive traits and negative traits

This chapter on selfless love distinguishes between positive traits (patience, kindness, rejoicing in truth) and negative