Luke 6:28 "Bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you."
I keep reading different Facebook posts about being kind to people because you never know what they are going through. I 100% agree with this statement, and as a disciple of Jesus, I am called to treat everyone with love and grace. I am truly a nature-plus-nurture believer when it comes to people. We all have our matched set of luggage we carry around with us. One bag carries the happy times, one the hard, one the mundane, but we all have them.
So, what do I do when someone who clearly has more bags filled with challenging events digs in? I happen to have one of these scenarios happening right now. A situation occurred that, for all intents and purposes, should not have been more than a minor irritation on the part of the aforementioned individual. For whatever reason, this person has just dug in, making this minor issue huge. Unfortunately, they are also wanting those involved to keep feeding this now angry monster. I know that, for my part; I just want the whole thing to end.
It makes me wonder, though, how much has happened to the individual to cause this kind of intense reaction? What are they carrying around in their luggage? How many bags are full of painful situations? I surmise there are many. I have, as others involved have, been pulled into prayer for this person. I know from my own experience that the only way to peace and freedom is through a relationship with Jesus. This person may seem like an enemy, but they are just broken like all of us. So, whenever I see those posts about kindness, I will focus on praying for those who need the mercy, grace, and love of Jesus in their lives.
Amen Lehann. I think we are all just the sum of events in our lives - those things that have brought up joy and pain, happiness and sorrow, abuse and delight. I try to explain this to my students who are teenagers and where everything seems insurmountable and drama follows them at every turn.
ReplyDeleteWe are all coming from some place of hurt and suffering or no understanding of how someone could struggle through difficulty. Professional Development has often focused on meeting students where they are and trying to help them manage the difficulties in their lives, but imagine what our world would be like if we could do that with everyone we meet. Imagine if we could validate the pain and suffering and get to the root cause of the way we respond to something?