LOVING DIFFICULT PEOPLE

The true meaning of love dawns on us when we find ourselves required to love someone who has hurt us or mistreated us...

When it comes right down to it, we need a good reason to love some people--a very good reason! It often seems much easier just to avoid them. Haven't you ever asked yourself, "Why bother? If she goes her way and I go mine, then we can avoid a lot of unnecessary conflict?"

Most of us are busy enough as it is, without having an extra burden of working through relationship problems that could be better handled by just staying out of each other's hair. It seems easier just to chalk it up to a natural personality conflict. Anyway, some people are so strange that no one could possibly get along with them. Right?

To love people we don't like is one of life's great challenges. It takes extra motivation and help from outside ourselves. For me, the greatest motivation to love people I don't like is God's love for me. When we struggle in our response to another person, we must remember that we are all sinners whom God has forgiven for so many things. If we cannot forgive others for their sins against us, then perhaps we have lost sight of just how much we have been forgiven.....