Liking Someone Sometimes Follows Loving Them

(Redeemer sanctuary)

Most of us have at least someone who hates us, or has hated us. If we are followers of Jesus we are to love them, from the heart. But must we also like them? 

C.S. Lewis wrote that, if you have trouble loving someone, act as if you love them. Doing this often leads to feelings of love for them.

Liking may or may not be part of loving. We should not wait for liking to happen before we act in love. If we did that, precious little loving would happen. 

Love is an act of the will that can produce endearment. Frederick Buechner writes:

"Sometimes liking follows on the heels of loving. It is hard to work for people’s well-being very long without coming in the end to rather like them too. Have you ever prayed regularly for an enemy? What happened? Did the enemy change? Did you?" (Buechner, Faith That Matters, p. 135)