Loving the Difficult People in Your Life

“She had been beside my locker for three long years in a row. It was one of those girls that were hard to love. She always wanted to be the life of the party. In class, she’d add obnoxious comments to embarrass some and produce laughter from others. I never tried to get close to her. I didn’t want to be “connected” with her. I would avoid her in the hallway. I’d sit beside her, and not start up conversations with her. I’d laugh at her comments to be polite. I’d talk wrongly behind her back. I’d always said, “I want to find a solution in helping her.” That wasn’t my full intent. I remember [so] well the times I prayed and asked God to give me opportunities to love on her and show her my caring spirit towards her.  I could see her hiding behind those fronts and masks. I wanted to see her so badly tear down those walls and masks. But, I didn’t know how to address it. I just didn’t feel ready to commit to a friendship/relationship that took so much effort and work. I guess, I would have to say it’s partly pride. It was so incredibly selfish of me. “

       Every human alive on earth has people; they don’t connect very well with. PERSONALITIES PROVOKE. CONVICTIONS CONFLICT. HABITS HARASS YOU. PEOPLE DON’T [quite] MEASURE UP TO YOUR LEVEL.

     Who are those people in your life? Think about it for a second with me.

 Recently, I have been thinking about those people in my life that are difficult to love.  The questions that came to my mind were: How can I love them better? Why don’t they get along with me? What do I need to do to begin loving them? Did Jesus love difficult people?

What do I need to do to begin to love them?

 I need to obey his commandments.

(YOU DO, TOO)

God said in His Word, “That love your neighbor thing…I meant that.”

Who is your neighbor?

Neighbor means anyone. 

The poorly dressed man on the street corner. The girl with the gossip habit at your High school. The missionary’s teenage daughter. Yes, the person that is difficult to love.

Do you really, truly love your difficult neighbor?

1 Corinthians 12: 21 says, “The eye can never say to the hand, I don’t need you. The head can’t say to the feet, I don’t need you.”

You should have no reason to say to your neighbor, “I have no need of you.”

You have to have a heart that is willing to follow these commands. (Evaluate yourself.)

       How can you love them better?

 You can love the difficult person by serving them. I read an article online about serving the unlovable people in your life. The article said this, “Serving gives us an easy way to see how we should love. It’s not just some mushy, hard-to-grasp emotion but a move to action. Secondly, Serving someone has a way of changing the way we see them. If you are constantly looking out for a way to help someone, it’s very hard to think of their worthlessness. It’s very hard to stay mad at them.”

        How can you serve someone this week?

   I encourage you to bless and serve someone this week. They would appreciate it so much.

      You should look past then into whom God made them to be. Yeah, this will be so hard and difficult. It’s so worth it, though.

As humans, we tend to look into the outward appearances and characteristics. I encourage you to look into their heart.  [try it. Ask God to help you.] Their story matters just as much as yours does. You could end up being one of their biggest blessings.

       Did Jesus ever have to love difficult people?

He loved many, many, many difficult people. Jesus loved the Pharisees, hypocrites, mockers, and his tormentors. Toward the end of his life, he loved the people about to betray, deny, and desert him. Guess what? Jesus was fully aware of it.

           1 Corinthians 11:1 says, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

Jesus washes the feet of men, who were unworthy of it. Jesus never put on a fake love, a false front or made them feel insecure or stupid. He truly, completely loved them.

       This proposes the question, “How can you completely love the unlovable in your life?”

    Follow the Example of Christ.

           It might call for some sacrifice with your best friends this week, but you will be blessed to serve a difficult person.

 I’m going to be completely honest with you.  This is something, I am working on. It doesn’t come easily or naturally for me. (or any other person) I have put a paper in my locker to remind myself to love others around me that are difficult to love. I DARE you to come with me on this adventure. Will you?

                Begin to love those, who SEEM impossible to LOVE.

     You never know, God might have a blessing in disguise waiting for you.

by Simone

*If you have tried this and have amazing-God stories, I’d be so happy to hear! You can contact me at: authorgirlsim@gmail.com

"To be alive is to be broken, and to be broken is to stand in need of grace."
-Brennan Manning

What does it mean to truly be alive?
And what does it mean to be completely broken?
A person can be alive without experiencing true life. True life is Jesus Christ dwelling in our hearts. Its living in the freedom of a sinner that was saved. 
Brokenness is to be emptied of everything and to be filled with only Jesus. It's letting go of what we want for what God wants. Sometimes to experience true freedom is to let go. Surrender. And sometimes to be broken is to see how we are nothing without God. We can try desperately on our own, but in the end we will always fail. It's hard to admit we're wrong, and that we're sinners in need of grace. Human flesh says its all about us, but it's not!!!And so to bow the knee and tell God that whatever He wants of us, we will do..it takes courage and it takes strength, but that's the heart cry of God. That we will give him everything and let Him be Master.
Life is never something we will figure out completely, but when we entrust it into the hands of God..there is peace. I have wrestled with some of the things God has required of me. I don't always understand, and when I dwell on it, it makes me discontent. But I have realized also that when I focus on God, on what He wants and not just what I want, there is joy. Joy in knowing I'm where God wants me. We need to come to the place where we want God's will more than our own. This doesn't come overnight. It's actually a daily choice. We can choose to see all that God has denied us of, or we can choose to see everything He has blessed us with. Jesus really does give grace for the painful moments.
And His grace really is enough.
It does see us through.

A Song that has inspired me:

Great is your faithfulness Oh God
You wrestle with the sinner's heart
You lead us by still waters in to mercy
And nothing can keep us apart

So remember your people
Remember your children
Remember your promise
Oh God

Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough for me

Great is your love and justice God of Jacob
You use the weak to lead the strong
You lead us in the song of your salvation
And all your people sing along

Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough for me

Your grace is enough
Heaven reaching down to us
Your grace is enough for me
God I see your grace is enough
I'm covered in your love
Your grace is enough
For me

-chris tomlin

Home Is.

We are a fragile flock,
we specks of life,
and our hearts scatter, 
skittish, 
at first doubt.
And we're easily drawn aside,
from His side,
when greener grass and tales of treasure
catch our attention.
And we're stubborn and shallow and sensitive---
a fragile flock---
but deep in our souls,
we do feel.
We feel so much
and yearn and long and hope.
We yearn for home;
we can't enjoy the day
not knowing where we'll lay our heads at night.
Take away our familiar place,
and you pull the ground from beneath our feet.
We lose our footing and fall on our backs
and find ourselves staring at the sky.
We need a solid place,
we fragile flock;
Without a home
we scarce know who we are.
And so we wonder, dazed and scared and lost,
"If I don't have a place, then who am I?"
We don't want to be pilgrims.
Not us.
We want to be lords.
We want a place,
a safe place;
we want a home.
Our only constant sights are the cotton in the day sky
and the twinkles in the night
and the Shepherd whom we follow.
His face, his staff, his feet.
"Lift up your eyes!"
He always tells me
when I grumble about leaving home again,
how that home will never be my home again,
but how the next place won't be like home now,
so
WHERE IS MY HOME.
"Lift up your eyes," He says,
and so I do.
I see the heavens and I heave a sigh.
I know my home is heaven;
it sounds nice.
But I am just a speck in a fragile flock;
I need some sort of home
here on this earth!
I need some sort of home
before I die!
"My lamb, you have a home here;
lift your eyes!"
And so I lift my eyes
and I look higher,
much higher than the sky,
and I see Him.

~Cheríe

Choosing Joy

JOY.
It's not just about feeling the emotion.
It's about being in the state of joy.
It's not always about what you feel-it's about where you choose to place yourself....in the state of joy where you choose to still have a spirit of joy or out of it.
Before Jesus death...He didn't feel joyful as in the emotion but He was glad to BE.
By being at rest in God, we're not talking about spiritual lethargy but about the PEACE OF GOD, Being in harmony with oneself, with God, and with one's place in God's purpose and plan, unflustered by circumstances, by change, by trials, by ups and downs, or by fluctuating feelings.
-Michael Phillips

Therefore...choose joy.

You make beautiful things

A new favorite song: ☺

YOU MAKE BEAUTIFUL THINGS -GUNGOR

All this pain
I wonder if I'll ever find my way
I wonder if life could really change at all
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found
Could a garden come up from this ground at all

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in you

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

You make me new, you are making me new
You make me new, you are making me new

You make beautiful things

Peter denied Jesus three times.
The third time Jesus turned and locked eyes with Peter.
His eyes cried out...What have you done?
Do you really care about me?
Where is your heart?

How often are we like Peter?We say we love Jesus and will be faithful, but when the real test comes we are often too scared to stand up for Jesus' name. We go with the flow instead of being strong in what we believe. How often do you think Jesus' heart cries out with pain at our rejection? We told him we would follow him no matter what the cost, but then it comes, and the cost requires too much to give up...and we break our promise.
Are our hearts grounded in God? Are they so firmly rooted that they will stay there, no matter what comes our way?
Children of God:
Take up your cross and FOLLOW the one who died for you...and rose again to bring you life.
True life.

Come To Jesus

This song has really inspired me...I was just at a bibleschool and my one class was  Gospel Team. We were a group that learned songs and at the end of our term we went on a singing tour. It was totally awesome. Our chorus director chose the theme to be on prayer. Are you a praying person?Really and truly?When was the last time you spent an hour with God? I came home very challenged! So as you listen to this song...listen to the words. Come to Jesus. Fall on Jesus. Completely. Don't hold anything back. Cry to Jesus. He cares. He will always be there no matter what you are facing. I loved this song and hope you will to! -Kelsi