First

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all of your strength, and love your brother as yourself.

A lot is said by what isn't said. We are supposed to love PEOPLE. There is no qualification on that. We are to love all people equally.

But, it is not a call to love all that they do. God loved us, He didn't love the state we were in. He doesn't love the sins we continue to commit.

Loving people and loving everything about them are two different things. How we divide that, is why the word of God is called the "sword", or the "sword of the Spirit".

Like Paul said, "Let your forbearing Spirit be evident to all." In other words, let the first thing people see in you be kindness. Let your love for them be evident. Before you tell them they're wrong, or going to hell, or poor, or wretched, or terrible.

We, as forgiven and beloved people forget what that has done for us. The knowledge that all can be forgiven can allow us to step into a light where all things can be given up. We can put our hands in the air. God can reveal things to us.

Love first.

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