I have a confession to make: I just don't like some people. I know that's a terrible thing for a Christian to say, but it's true. There are some people I just don't want to be around. I don't have anything against them, personally; they just bother me.
I wrestle with this constantly. Why can't I be more like my friend, S, who loves everyone. She not only loves everyone; she is constantly thinking of ways to serve people. She's already offering someone a ride to the grocery store while I'm still trying to figure out what I'm supposed to be doing.
Or, why can't I be more like my friend, A, who has the biggest compassionate heart I've ever seen. When I complained to her recently about some people I encountered at the park, she said, "Well, maybe they had a rough day today and needed someone to give them a smile." Boy, that cut me down to size.
I just don't understand. I know God wants me to have compassion for others, and I know God wants me to serve others, but that's not the first thing that comes to my mind when I encounter people.
If you're like me, then we have a lot to learn this semester. I promise to keep an open mind and to seek the Spirit's guidance as we contemplate what it means to be a Christian servant. If you'll do the same thing, then, hopefully, we'll be better servants when it's all over.
wow Wendy, that's a confession I didn't expect from you. I'm a little surprised. You fake it well :) I have never known you to be anything other than kind hearted and giving..........then again maybe I just stayed on your good side.
ReplyDeleteMrs. G, I know exactly how you feel sometimes! There are days where I will try to serve others by listening to their problems and then there are some I just don't wish to be around. I feel like as Christians we think that serving others is always having to reach out from our comfort zones and help everyone. While yes, that's true not everyone can do that and at times you can't serve everyone. I found that the best avenue of service to those you feel less inclined to serve is to simply pray. Pray that someone who has a greater desire to serve them comes along or that you somehow find common ground in which to serve them. The goal is to serve others in order to win souls and glorify God, not to make you comfortable. And as cliche as this sounds, If Christ did it why can't we? I'm sure Jesus often wondered why even in the midst of his love for them. He was after all human just as much as he was divine. Service is hard, but it's not impossible.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever heard of the phrase, “I love my mother, but I don’t always like her”? I think that phrase applies to several of things in life, including the people that surround us everyday. The reason that we love our mothers (most of us) is because we’ve spent time with them and time gave us some type of understanding with our mothers and also created a bond. With our brothers and sisters, we tend to spend time with them and we also create some type of bond. And with that we always love each other, but we don’t always like each other.
ReplyDelete“I wrestle with this constantly. Why can’t I be more like my friend…who loves everyone.” I understand perfectly what you mean there. I’ve thought about that countless times in my own life, but then realized, that my friend and I are not in the same places in our walk. Though, we have been Christians for the same amount of time. I know that I have to pray to God and ask him to help me on my walk, but lately it has been difficult for me, but I’m stubborn so, I’m going to keep trying. “When I complained to her recently about some people I encounter at the park she said, ‘Well maybe they had a rough day today...” That compassion and understanding your friend has is a gift from God, and something Lord knows I certainly need! Traits like that are small high quality packages from God.
“I just don't understand. I know God wants me to have compassion for others, and I know God wants me to serve others, but that's not the first thing that comes to my mind when I encounter people.” As you progress farther in your walk it’ll come naturally to you. That’s something I need to learn also, that God will provide and that he’s always there. I, personally have been struggling in my walk with God, I guess you can say I fell, its just hard for me to get back up because I feel lost, yet, I’m not sure why. And yes Mrs. G, we both have a lot to learn this semester, I just hope I learn it the first time around.
I don't know who you are, Ashme, but I appreciate your words.
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