I’ve written several devotionals about how to respond to insults, deal with people who don’t like us, and navigate difficult relationships. It’s something I really struggle with as a Christian, a woman, and an imperfect human being. Of course, we all encounter conflict in some form throughout our lives. And how we deal with it as Christians really matters.
It’s not that we can’t be hurt, sad, or angry which are all normal feelings. Yet, unbelievers watch our reactions closely, and Satan loves nothing more than to pounce on our hurts to try to tear us apart and ruin our witness to other people.
So, I read a quote recently that I want to remember when I feel hurt or offended. This quote expresses a truth we already know, but it still was just an “aha moment” for me. It really gave me some much needed perspective, and I hope this is something that will help you too.
“God’s love for us isn’t dependent on us loving Him back.”
How true this is! God loves me and you when we’ve not loved Him back. Christ loved us before we became His children. He loves us even though we are sinners. And He tells us to love others just as He loves us. So, our love for other people should not be dependent on them loving us back, being civil to us, or nice to us.
As His children, we are called to love greater – to imitate Christ’s love for us. It’s a love that forgives. And it’s a love that controls and tames our tongues in response to hurtful words, because we know there’s always a better way to handle it. He provides us the strength to do it, the healing to our wounded hearts, and the confidence we need. What an awesome calling and gift He gives us!
However, this is also a responsibility not to be taken lightly. It does not mean being overly prideful. We should not think of someone as beneath us if we are behaving and responding in a nicer way. Instead, we are to act humbly, be understanding, and serve others well. Besides, you never truly know what someone else is going through or has been going through that is shaping their behavior and responses.
As I was thinking about writing this post late one evening, the T.V. was on in the background, and a church service suddenly aired on the network. The pastor started speaking on a very similar topic. He spoke on how things seem to be getting worse in our country and about the seemingly greater division among people. I wish I had paid more attention to the speaker’s name and the name of the show, so I could share it with you. But the following is a brief summary of his message that really stood out to me.
Our mission is to share Christ’s gift of grace with others whether we agree with their point of view or not. The mission is not about winning an argument or debate with someone else we don’t agree or get along with. It’s about loving them like Christ loves us. That’s how we make a difference in the world.