do we do all that we can?

Do you have anyone in your family, frontline or community that just rubs you up the wrong way…every time? Or maybe they frustrate you more often than not! Or you get annoyed constantly by what they say and do? Or maybe you feel judged by them no matter how hard you try to do the right thing and that bugs you. How do you handle that? (Long pause for you to think….)

Do you tend to avoid them at all costs? Do you think about how you could retaliate? Do you play scenarios in your head of what you would like to do to them?

Jesus endured similar situations when he was insulted, threatened, hurt and beaten but his responses and solutions to these scenarios guide us in how we should also respond. Romans 12:18 says ‘Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone’. Do we?? Do we do ALL that we can? Do we go the extra mile to smile and say hello to that person who is always grumpy? Do we take a meal around to our next door neighbour who never appreciates anything we do? Do we let false accusations about us slide off our back or do we respond with a sarcastic, hurtful comment? Do we gossip about people we don’t like? Do we judge a young person on their actions without getting any background information?

Romans 12:19 goes on to say ‘Dear friends, NEVER take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God’. We are an instant society aren’t we? If we are hungry, we want to eat now. If we need a new phone, we want it now. We seem to have lost the art of waiting patiently and earning that item we want. Leaving our situation unresolved and in the hands of someone else when we want it dealt with instantly is difficult.

We would do well to remember to entrust ourselves and our sticky situations to God who judges righteously and has our back remembering that God is not necessarily an instant God. Honour the other person as much as you can for the strengths you can see in them (everyone has a strength!). Decide to be kind because kindness can be free. Choose to let the annoying, frustrating, judgy bits of your opponent go. 1 Peter 4:8 says ‘Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins’. The Message Bible says it this way ‘Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything’.

Try doing something this week in love for someone who doesn’t deserve it or frustrates you.

Tania