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S. Michael Houdmann
Supporter
The Bible tells us that God's will is for us to love other people with a godly love. We are called to "love your neighbor as yourself" (Luke 10:27) and even to "love your enemies, do good to those ...
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Helena Jones
Supporter
Yes, it is possible not to like someone you love. I learned this many years ago when I realized that there were many within my family, whom I loved, but did not like a whole lot. Right now I have a very close family member whom I love dearly, but I do not like who she has become.
Rodney Brown
Supporter
Definitely, Showing love is manifested in our display of kindness and consideration without bias or favoritism because we are Christians. Liking a person has more to do with how they present to us, no one likes to be hated or despised or ignored out of pure spite, I'm sure Jesus didn't like or appreciate the accusations of the Pharisees when they accused him of blasphemy, in fact he told them they were of their father the devil. I'm certain he wasn't charmed by their character, but he still loved them by revealing himself to them and declaring the will of God although they were hostile by nature. No, I'm sure he wouldn't have liked them!
Joann Schlachter
Supporter
Loving someone means that we wish the absolute best for them. The absolute best thing for anyone is eternal salvation through Christ. So praying for them and hoping for there salvation would be loving them since Jesus said to love our enemies. Liking a person is a different matter.
Brandon Hughes
Supporter
There are a lot of people I don't like but would love enough to push out of the way of a speeding bus.
Daniel Kytonen
Supporter
I just want to throw in that if you are unable to like them, it is because you are trying the fix the problem on your own. To go from hating someone to loving them is only a work that the spirit of the living God can do in us. In a less extreme case it is easy for us to rationalize or justify to making our feelings of dislike go away, but this is not what God wants. He wants to be in our hearts changing us. So I would say that if you are "Loving" a person that you don’t like, you are simply doing the duty of Christ (which that work belongs to him and him alone) without the change that God wants to provide in your heart. If we are to actually love people we need to see them as flawless and blames just as God see us, and to understand that even if they are not followers of Jesus they are still made in the image of God the fathers. Genesis 1: 27“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them male and female he created them.”
Karen Snyder
Supporter
That's where God comes in. We can not love our enemy's on our own, We need to ask God to give us His love, to love someone we don't have the love for & He will give it to us. Amen! He has done this for me a number of times.
Rhonda Mcpherson
Supporter
you can love someone and not like what they do. you certainly wouldn't want something bad to happen to that person, that is love. you can pray for them, that is love. but god does not want us to be treated bad by those we love either. So sometimes you need to just love them from afar too. and you are concerned about it, thats love. So you do love them and don't like what they do. Love the person and hate the sin.
Tim Beeker
Supporter
Hate, love, and like are all points along a spectrum. Love is benevolence. Regardless of whether or not someone is "liked," "loved," or whatever else, it is contingent upon the believer to do the good thing, regardless. If one likes someone, and doing something that is good brings about pain to the one who is liked, then the one who is doing good should not relent in doing what is good. "Good" is not always pleasurable. "Good" is always right, though. If the good that one wants to do to the person who is liked would bring pain, then one may relent in doing what is good to them or for them. Conversely, if someone is not liked or loved, and doing something good to them or for them might bring them some pleasure, then one might hesitate, or not do something good at all. To answer the question, it is possible to simply love, regardless of the emotion involved. Love should not be linked to an emotion.
Anonymous
loving and liking are not the same thing. Liking is not required for loving. I like flowers, dogs, pizza and ice cream. I love God, my neighbor, and my children because they are created in His image. loving is a commandment and a requirement to be a Christian. You don't have to like someone to love them. "LIKE" is the preliminary stage of "ROMANTIC LOVE" Jesus said to love our enemies. He did not expect us to like them or what they do to do us.
Nece Moore
Supporter
The LORD says in Mark 12:31 "The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[a] There is no commandment greater than these.” The LORD also says, he will never command us anything beyond our limitations. It is possible according to Him, but that does not mean its easy, especially when someone is not right toward you. In response to your exact question, yes it is possible, because the LORD wants us to love others, but it's not easy.
Wambui Mburu
Supporter
Shalom I had a precious 10 year old looking over my shoulder as I looked at this question. Here is her child-like response. You cannot love somebody without liking them because you need to like someone one before you love them. You might not like what they are doing but you can still love them.
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