There was a man who was always bragging about his love for children. One day he was pouring a new driveway of cement and some of the little kids in the neighborhood came running through his yard and ran right through his freshly poured driveway.
In fact, this occurred while he was gone, and some even wrote their initials and names in the cement. By the time he got back it had hardened that way with the footprints and the initials and the names hardened for all to see.
This man went into a tirade. He was screaming and yelling at the top of his lungs; pacing back and forth about to explode. One of his neighbors came over and said, “I thought you said you loved children.” The man said, “Well, I do love them in the abstract, but I don’t love them in the concrete.”
Wouldn’t it be easy if we only had to love people that we choose to love? Wouldn’t it be great if you could just choose any person you wanted to love, and not only that, but then be able to choose that they love you back. Well we don’t have a choice when it comes to love.
Jesus says, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who treat you badly.” (Luke 6:27).
What group of people do YOU find easy to like or love in the abstract, but not concretely?
WHEN YOU LOVE YOUR ENEMIES, YOU REVEAL WHAT KIND OF GOD OUR GOD REALLY IS!
