God will give you what you need to love.

Jesus makes it really hard to hold grudges. You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. (Mat 5:43-45)

That’s a pretty tall order. Do good to those who hate you! That’s hard to do, especially since our gut reaction is to protect ourselves from being hurt. We put up walls that shut people out when we’ve been hurt, and it’s hard to love that way.

So how do you protect yourself from being hurt and still love people? You fill yourself with the love of God. His love will protect your heart and give you all that you need to give out. The enemy will still try to goad you into responding badly, but keep your heart soft toward God and He will be your shield against hurt. He is a shield to all who trust in Him. (Ps 18:30)

Being protected is vital, but now you need to give out the love that God put in you. It may or may not be appreciated. Don’t worry about it. It’s a lot better than holding a grudge.