Thoughtful Thursday: Grow Your Heart

Lastly in this series of the heart, we will discuss the idea of growing your heart.

I Thessalonians 3:12 says “And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men,…”

It’s easy to love those that love you back and are thankful for what is given them.  But what about loving those that don’t reciprocate, those that don’t appreciate?

As Christians we should try to grow our hearts to love not just our family, fellow Christians, those that are easy to love, but also those that we may deem unlovable.

John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world…”   The world.  All men.  Not everyone believes in God, many curse His name, yet He loves them.   The obstacles that we may have to try to overcome to love all men are not near as great as this.

So, how do we grow our hearts to love all?

We can take from Christ’s example in John 13.  He was serving His disciples by washing their feet.  In this group of men, was one who would betray Him, one that would deny Him, yet He proved His love to them by serving them.  I bet this was an act of love that they never forgot, even if it was not appreciated at the moment.

Matthew 5:44 says “…Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you,….”

We can also grow our hearts by praying for others.  And no I don’t mean pray that they get a flat tire or something like that.  Pray for blessings for them, pray that they come to know Christ and/or grow in their relationship with Him.  This is a deed that may never receive recognition, but how can you not learn to care for someone that you lift up in prayer to the Father.  He can allow you to see them as He sees them….loveable!