"'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." - Mark 12:31
If you’ve stepped outside lately, which I hope you have, you are aware of the hurt, pain, and rejection our world is drowning in. Because we are hurt and hurting, we tend to hurt those around us because we don’t know what else to do. Do you know that God loves you? When we felt rejected, hurt, and alone, consider this: He pursues us with a relentless love. No matter what we did against Him, He continues to love us, regardless of our past or present sin. He will continue to love us regardless of what we do. He loves us because He created you and me and we are crazy valuable to Him! Don’t forget that.
Think about the people you interact with everyday. Do they know how special they are to their Creator? Do they know how highly He values them? Have they been shown the love of Christ? If not, what can you do about it? Before you start to question how you can help or become intimidated by the thought of sharing God with your friends (gasp!), think back to a time when you were really feeling alone and unloved. Maybe you’re feeling that way now. Sometimes we need to be reminded of our value and importance to others through unconditional love from those around us. During those hard times, it would’ve helped to have someone who you know loves you to be with you. We all long to be loved. Mark 12:31 tells us to love others as we love ourselves. Show love to the hurting. Just as Christ relentlessly pursued you with love, relentlessly pursue those around you.
Go out of your way to show God’s love to them in little ways. Trust me, they’ll notice. I’m sure you’ve been challenged to do something like sit with the lonely girl at lunch, but I’m also almost as sure that you haven’t done it. This small task is small enough for you to ignore without your conscious getting upset, but big enough to make all the difference in the world when that girl holds a razor to her wrist and wonders if anyone sees her. No, this isn’t overly dramatic, this is real. Don’t underestimate how much those around you are hurt and how much of a difference you could make. Don’t just love those who are hurting, but also those who appear to be doing just fine. So fine, in fact, that they have enough vigor to pick on those around them. We are told to love those who hate us and pray for those who persecute us in Matthew 5:44. Why? Because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). Believe it or not, the anger and bitterness these people are showing outwardly stems from a deep rooted hurt that has never been dealt with. When they are alone at night, I promise they don’t feel rough and tough then, but small. They need to be shown the Love of Christ just as much as anyone else.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
1. Sit with the girl who is sitting alone. (Really. It’s a good one.)
2. Write an encouraging note to someone who struggles with self esteem.
3. Be approachable for others; listen and respond with kindness and love.
4. Invest in and keep up a relationship with the friendless.
5. Ask, “How are you” and care what the answer is.
6. Invite your quiet and seemingly upset classmate to get coffee or go bowling.
Invest in one another, share an encouraging word, take action with a kind gesture, write notes, spend time listening and watch for opportunities to share God's Love to another!
~ Written by Hannah, an Honor Academy Alumni
I challenge you not to just read over these words and think, “Yeah, that’s a good idea,” but to make a point to show someone that they are valued and loved. Please don’t underestimate the influence you can have on a life
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