The WAY We LOVE Difficult People... Says It All

Have you ever had to walk with difficult people???  How we show them love and treat them says volumes about us.

So the above screen shot came across my feed today on twitter...man it really punched me in the face. (Thanks Bob!! )  Because the way I sometimes treat difficult people screams that I don't value the Gospel.  I get wronged or a close family member or friend get's wrong and I get fired up.   But that's not the response that Jesus has called us to live by.  You see if we claim to know Jesus, we have a mandate directly from Him and it's an impossible mandate outside of the power of the Holy Spirit living in us. 

Look at this...

⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matt 5:44)

^{Man...that's a tough one!  Like really tough!  I mean it's easy to love folks who love you back...but it's a whole different ball game when people don't love you back.  But Jesus keeps giving us more stuff to walk in...}

⁴⁶ If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? (Matt 5:46-47)

OUCH!!!  That hurts!  But it's a good hurt!  You see we should be better at this...we belong to the one who has perfected this.  He loves the unlovable.

 When we start  living this truth out we scream to the world we actually believe the Gospel and not only that, but that we are controlled by a God that is LOVE!

I hope this encourages you the way it encouraged me today!  Go and love some 'difficult folks' today!