Several months ago I started carrying a small journal book in my hip pocket. I use it to record my thoughts during my Bible reading time. I often use it to jot people's phone numbers or the occasional mind jogger to get something done.
It is very useful. It keeps me focused each day and often encourages me during lunch when I am "out and about."
Today I looked through a previous book and noticed the admonition that there are people that are hard to be around. Some people are hard to bear. But just as Christ did, we are not told to just put with them, but to love them.
What does it take to love a person, well, like me?
Ask Viki. It isn't easy. Sometimes I react instead of act. I get focused and intense to the exclusion of everything else. Loving me can be an exercise in spiritual development and personal formation.
Wow! I am gift from the Father to you. If you open my wrapping carefully, you can save the bow.
Loving a "Hard-to-love" person requires a commitment. The commitment, however, is not to the person, but to the Father. As He loves them, we love them. As He works in their life, we join in with Him. As He reveals Himself to them, we rejoice and glorify Him for the work He is doing.
And we learn to love the unlovable. We stop seeing the drool down the side of the face, we don't hear the unusual noises at awkward times and our noses seem to develop an ability to ignore the aromas that used to make us gag. For they are His children.
Because we love the unlovable, we refuse to be offended when they make grandiose statements based on dubious facts. A lack of social skills or the clumsy efforts to impress become nothing more than a target for our prayer life. An arrogant statement of judgementalism against those who are perceived as having judged becomes a time to share in disappointment and discouragement.
There are several societies that designate people as "Untouchable." Some are diseased and others are labeled simply because of birth. While the world may consider them as "untouchable," we, God's Children, are never allowed to consider anyone "Unlovable."
After all, it isn't their lovableness that is at question.
It is our ability to love.
It is very useful. It keeps me focused each day and often encourages me during lunch when I am "out and about."
Today I looked through a previous book and noticed the admonition that there are people that are hard to be around. Some people are hard to bear. But just as Christ did, we are not told to just put with them, but to love them.
What does it take to love a person, well, like me?
Ask Viki. It isn't easy. Sometimes I react instead of act. I get focused and intense to the exclusion of everything else. Loving me can be an exercise in spiritual development and personal formation.
Wow! I am gift from the Father to you. If you open my wrapping carefully, you can save the bow.
Loving a "Hard-to-love" person requires a commitment. The commitment, however, is not to the person, but to the Father. As He loves them, we love them. As He works in their life, we join in with Him. As He reveals Himself to them, we rejoice and glorify Him for the work He is doing.
And we learn to love the unlovable. We stop seeing the drool down the side of the face, we don't hear the unusual noises at awkward times and our noses seem to develop an ability to ignore the aromas that used to make us gag. For they are His children.
Because we love the unlovable, we refuse to be offended when they make grandiose statements based on dubious facts. A lack of social skills or the clumsy efforts to impress become nothing more than a target for our prayer life. An arrogant statement of judgementalism against those who are perceived as having judged becomes a time to share in disappointment and discouragement.
There are several societies that designate people as "Untouchable." Some are diseased and others are labeled simply because of birth. While the world may consider them as "untouchable," we, God's Children, are never allowed to consider anyone "Unlovable."
After all, it isn't their lovableness that is at question.
It is our ability to love.
