Surely you can see that loving and liking are entirely different. Too often, we don’t love people because we think that we have to like them. This is actually falling far short of what it means to love. Loving is defined by and modeled by God. It is the response of one who has been loved by God and is seeking to love God in the other person (if they are a Christian) and love the image of God in that person (if they are an unbeliever). It penetrates beyond any outward unattractiveness and fastens itself upon the new nature in the individual. It is highly intelligent and not merely instinctive. It thinks, reasons and works to reflect Jesus in willful and joyful sacrifice and service of others for their good.
If you are a Christian, you may not like ‘em (that’s OK), but you must love them.
