The Mrs. Rev Podcast: Love God and Love People

Have you ever had to forgive something that you couldn’t forget? Maybe someone spread a rumor about you. Or perhaps someone treated you unfairly. Whatever happened, it happened because people are imperfect. They make mistakes. As women of God, we need to know how to protect our hearts and love people, even when they mess up. You need to give people grace and forgiveness.

You might say, “Pastor Joie, you don’t know what I’ve been through.” But Jesus does! Because Jesus was human, He dealt with everything that we deal with. People betrayed him and misrepresented him all through the Bible. But because he knew who he was called to be and he was confident in who God was, he could protect his heart against bitterness.

Jesus never saw people through human eyes—He saw who God created them to be. Even when he knew that Judas was going to betray him, he showed him, love. Don’t let people’s mistakes cause you to give up on loving them.

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly. Father will also forgive you. But if you don't forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:14-15

In today’s episode, we’ll talk about five ways you can love God and love people, even when they mess up.

Don’t see people through human eyes.

Every single person has God-given potential, but that does not mean they always live it out! Sometimes people act according to their flesh. Jesus dealt with this all through the Bible. People betrayed him and misrepresented him. But because he knew who he was called to be and he was confident in who God was, he could protect himself against bitterness. He knew that their actions did not define Him, and He knew that if they really understood God’s will and His love for them, they would act differently. Give people grace and room to grow.

Set healthy boundaries.

You don’t have to be best friends with everyone. Draw a boundary that will help you protect your heart. God knows your situation, so ask him how you can show love to them without allowing them to hurt you again. Consider muting them on social media or limiting your conversations so that you are not sharing personal details about your life.

Don’t meditate on their words. Do not give them power.

You need to be careful about how much voice you give to people in your life. Because people are flawed, they can say things--either intentionally or unintentionally--that hurt you. Make sure that you put more weight in what God says about you than what other people say.

Let God give justice.

God is just. Throughout the Bible, you can see that God always responded when there was an injustice against His people. Resist the urge to try to get revenge! If you take the injustice into your own hands, you’re taking God out of the picture and taking yourself out of God’s divine protection.

Be honest with yourself.

God cannot heal what you do not feel. It’s okay to take some time and understand the way that you were affected by another person. Ask God to show you any feelings that you have repressed or that you have been holding on to. When you do, God will show you how to start the healing process. Begin by deciding not to meditate on what happened and guard your mind.

Forgiveness does not mean that you have to be BFFs. It means that they do not have a hold on your heart.

Loving people is a continual process. You have to constantly check your heart. If you don't, your issues will leak into other parts of your life. Have you ever seen someone who clearly let their past issues impact their present? As a minister, I never want my issues to come out when I’m preaching. I want my heart to be so pure that God can flow through me without getting caught up in any of my issues.

Pray This: Father, help me to love like you love. Help me to remember that everyone is made in your image, even when they say or do hurtful things. I”m sorry for when I have held on to unforgiveness and failed to love like you. Show me if there is anything that I haven’t forgiven and help me to find a way to protect my heart. I know that when I forgive, you will continue to use me to show others just how good and loving you are. In Jesus’ name, Amen!