Loving Like Jesus: Embracing the Broken and Forgotten

Loving Like Jesus: Embracing the Broken and Forgotten

Have you ever wondered how we can truly love others the way Jesus did? It's easy to say we love like Jesus, but when faced with people who look different, act different, or have visible struggles, our true feelings often surface.

The truth is, many of us have forgotten where we came from. We've forgotten our own brokenness before Christ transformed us. And in that forgetting, we've lost our ability to connect with those who need Jesus most.

The Broken People God Used

Throughout scripture, God consistently used broken, flawed people to accomplish His purposes:

• Joseph was hated by his brothers who "could not speak to him on friendly terms" (Genesis 37:4)

• Noah got drunk and embarrassed himself (Genesis 9:20-21)

• David committed adultery with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11)

• Rahab was a prostitute yet ended up in Jesus' lineage

• Mary Magdalene was delivered from seven demons

• Moses murdered an Egyptian

• Jacob swindled his brother's birthright

• Paul was a murderer of Christians

These weren't perfect people with spotless records. They were broken vessels that God chose to use despite their flaws—or perhaps because of them.

My Own Journey of Brokenness

I came to church with a heart full of bitterness. I was molested by my father at three years old, abused by my neighbor, and went through a painful divorce. I felt like trash and fell for the lie that I was nothing.

I was what you might call a "closet Christian"—someone who partied on Friday and Saturday nights, making sure to stop drinking an hour before closing time so I could be "good enough" to get up for church the next morning. I brushed my teeth twice to make sure no one could smell the alcohol.

The world saw me as one of them. And when people discovered I went to church, they were shocked. "You go to church?" they'd ask in disbelief.

How Can We Love Those Who Don't Look Like Us?

We've been praying for the unchurched and the lost to come through our doors. But what happens when they actually show up? Will they walk out saying, "I'm never coming back there"?

When I first saw someone with tattoos all over their face, including teardrops (which I knew what they meant), my immediate reaction was fear. But then I remembered—Moses was a murderer who wrote the first five books of the Bible. Paul was "the murderer of murderers," yet God used him powerfully.

We can't rely on just the pastors to surround newcomers when they walk in. Because they don't look like us, sound like us, or act like us, we often keep our distance. But how can we love them like Jesus loved us if we won't even approach them?

Why Do We Struggle to Connect With Others?

I used to think I couldn't witness to people because my testimony wasn't dramatic enough. I wasn't a drug dealer. I didn't survive being shot point-blank. Who would want to hear my story?

Yet people would approach me asking for prayer. One woman came to me saying, "I feel like the Lord told me to come to you because you had what I needed." Her issue? Learning to forgive her father who had molested her—something I had experienced too.

When people come to you with their scars on the outside (or hidden on the inside), will you have what they need? Will they even approach you if your face shows judgment rather than love?

Being Honest About Our Struggles

I'm guilty of avoiding opportunities to connect with people. When we finish prayer and someone says, "Let's go love on some people," I often think, "Now's a perfect time to go to the bathroom." Then I busy myself with preparations until the service starts, conveniently missing the chance to greet newcomers.

Recently, I rushed past a first-time visitor because I had "important things" to do. But the Lord convicted me, so I went back and apologized: "I want to apologize to you for zooming past you. I didn't want you walking out thinking I wasn't a friendly person."

I refuse to continue with the excuse, "This is just how I am." That's not how God made me—it's how the world crafted me to fit into a box He never intended me to be in.

God Looks at the Heart, Not Outward Appearance

In 1 Samuel 16, when Samuel went to anoint David as king, God reminded him: "I don't look at outward appearance. I look at the heart."

If we could take time to not look at people's outward appearance but instead see them through Jesus' eyes—looking at their hearts—our walk would be completely different.

Jesus asked Peter three times, "Do you love me?" And each time He followed Peter's affirmation with a command: "Tend my lambs," "Shepherd my sheep," "Tend my sheep" (John 21:15-17).

As leaders and believers, we have a responsibility. When people come through our doors, we can't focus on the sin they bring in. We will never feed them, tend to them, or shepherd them if our eyes are fixed on their outward appearance or struggles.

Life Application

This week, I challenge you to:

• Remember your own brokenness before judging others. We all have things in our past (or present) that we're not proud of.

• Look beyond outward appearances. Make a conscious effort to see people through God's eyes—looking at their hearts rather than their appearance, speech, or behavior.

• Be intentional about connecting with someone new or different. Don't rush past people to get to your "important tasks."

• If you've been hurt by the church, consider laying that down so you can move forward in your calling.

Ask yourself:

• Am I avoiding certain people because they make me uncomfortable?

• Have I forgotten my own journey and struggles?

• What would it look like if I truly loved others the way Jesus loves me?

• Is there someone God is calling me to connect with that I've been avoiding?

Remember, we cannot forget who we were, because the broken people who walk through our doors are us. They are who we once were—or who we might have been without God's grace.