Easy to Love

I thought it would be easy to love God when I saw how wonderful He is, then He said, “love me by loving your neighbor”. 
I thought it would be comfortable to love God when I remembered my neighbor that is friendly and wealthy and doesn’t need much at all, then He said, “love me by loving those in need”. 
I thought it wouldn’t be that challenging to love God when I remembered my friendly neighbor that has so many kids that they barely get by, in fact,  I even thought that I was doing a pretty fair job by sharing and sacrificing without grumbling about it at all. But then He said,  love me by loving even your enemies. 
And I wondered to myself, does He really mean them? They hate me. They cause me trouble and grief. They steal from me. They lie about me. They are even mean to the ones that I love.  
That’s when He interrupted my train of thought and He asked, “Haven’t you hated and disobeyed my commands? Haven’t you stood in opposition to wisdom and truth? Haven’t you stolen from me the time and gifts and blessings you were entrusted with to steward wisely? Haven’t you lied about me? Aren’t you slow to share the same mercy towards others that I showed towards you on the cross?”
Yes, this is love, that He loved me first – and that by that love I am being taught to love.

What would be impossible for man alone is quite possible for God (for Christ who lives in me) to do even through me. Because it isn’t about loving others to prove that I love God. No, I love God, and He will prove to me that I do by His love poured out, showing me how to love even my enemies.