This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ~ John 15:12
Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. ~ 1 Peter 4:9
I'm the first to admit to you that I'm not a 'people person'. I don't like crowds & don't trust strangers. I would never be successful in a job in the 'customer service' field. I don't believe the 'customer is always right' and would not hesitate in telling them so. I don't like forced small talk. I also don't give people the 'benefit of the doubt' very often. Neither do I go out of my way to meet new people.
Because we are mortal & human, we let eachother down, time & time again. People lie, steal, cheat and deliberately hurt other people. People are false, two-faced & evil. Sometimes I feel like our generation is no different than Noah's. Why would I go out of my way to meet & greet more of them? How can I possibly love them? This is my confession. I don't know how to over-come this.
Its not even about loving my enemies either. I'm a long way from that. But I've got to start with my non-enemies first. Baby steps, remember! I am talking about compassion for my 'fellow man', or even just compassion for those of the same faith. If I have the love of God within me, I ought to be just about bursting with it?! But its not...because I fear it. I read the verse over & over again "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear." 1 John 4:18 So how do I overcome a fear of loving. Its not a total fear of love itself, because I find it easy to love my husband, my family & those dear to me. But the love stops there. And I haven't got any left to share with the world of unknown people. In fact, I'm finding it hard to even desire it. If I can't even desire to have compassion for the world, for the people around me, it can't be forced out of me.
I can only conclude that I will need A LOT of help on this one.
"Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." Matthew 6:33 and 7:7-8
Reading the description of yourself... I think you are describing me! Uncanny! :-)
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend!
I hear you loud and clear Becky. Once bitten, twice shy... and its so so much easier to completely avoid, never mind love unconditionally those who we don't know. If we have been hurt before, physically or otherwise, we even develop a knee-jerk reaction. Its seems simply much safer and easier to NOT go out of our way. Unfortunately God developed us to NEED our brothers and sisters, warts and all... Our Creator, though we might not 'get this' wants us to develop OURSELVES when we befriend those who we don't naturally feel drawn to.
ReplyDeleteEven I, who does not come across in any way in this direction - am painfully shy, only sometimes I overdo things to compensate. It keeps me humble, for sure. Though I do value my time 'away' in my safe little world.
If given a choice only, with no consience as to doing what's right, I would probably only hang with the same as you, loved ones and close friends - course my bestest freind, my husband.
I am praying you find a peace about this, even while you have to be elbow to elbow with those you didn't choose to have to be with for hours, days on end...
There is real challenge in loving the unloveable, but sometimes it can be a rewarding project. As a person who has ALWAYS worked in Customer Service facing the public day to day, I do not even find the miserable ones hard anymore, co-workers on the other hand that are miserable or moody, I just find those a much bigger challenge, keep on swimming,swimming,swimming
ReplyDeleteCompassion is a trait to be treasured, strive for it.
hehe Dave - I'm glad I'm not alone.
ReplyDelete