An Advent Lesson on Loving the Not-Particularly-Lovable

There comes a limit to my compassion, my understanding, my friendship...my love. Especially when it seems someone kicks and screams against it...or misuses or takes advantage of it.

In my entire life there have been MAYBE 10-12 people with whom I have particularly not meshed...people toward whom, for some reason or other, I found it difficult to live out the love of Christ. Or even just my own love. I'm a pretty loving person, after all...generally speaking.

But yeah, there have been times when, though I didn't not love someone, I chose to be selfish rather than giving...perhaps the person needed me and I chose to be lazy or self-serving rather than go the extra mile to do something for them. I have a couple of regrets in this area, in fact. But I'm talking about the people against whom I would rather take revenge. Someone from whom I would like to withhold love, in order to punish them, or at least in order to just "be done" with them in order to protect myself from more anger and/or hurt.

This Advent I am faced with a choice on how to act toward one such person.

My prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for the love You have shown me, and continue to show me, even when I don't particularly warrant it. Thank You for Your patience, and Your example of Self-abasing love. In this season, please help me to be conscious of every person as a soul that is precious to You - and especially help me to regard this person with whom I am in conflict as someone YOU love. Help me, when my love and patience and goodwill grow thin or even completely run out, to love this person with Your love. Thank You for trusting me with this opportunity to grow.

Comments

  1. The ability to be as honest about oneself as you can be is a very great blessing, and your willingness to embrace it brings great joy unto our Heavenly Father--be assured.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A: Alive!

C: C. S. Lewis wrote this poem...

Top 10 Movie Countdown Blogfest