Wondering today…if those people, you know the ones … the ones we have chosen to dislike maybe for no apparent reason, the ones who maybe know more about us than we are comfortable with, the ones who we have trouble truly loving as Jesus wants us to. The ones who, probably unknowingly to them, seem to find a way to get under our skin with every mention of their name or interaction we have with them…”those people.”
Those people who are truly no different than you and me. Wondering if more than channeling all that negative energy in the direction of “those people” we would be intentional and deliberate about loving them as (no less than) we love ourselves. Extending the same lavish grace and love we have received. Having mercy and compassion for the truth that we are all flawed and we all have issues. And in fact it’s those issues, that bondage, that makes us do the unappealing things we do…us and “those people”.
Wondering what may happen if we took the problem or issue that we have placed on them and put it where it rightfully belongs, on us. What if we took the lead and owned our part in our judgement and condemnation of others and intentionally decided to cover it all with love. What a difference this could make not only in our own lives, but in the lives of “those people”. “Those people” are just like us, exactly like us, in fact maybe without realizing it-that is our issue. And let’s not be foolish and deny that we are, in fact, “those people” to someone, even though we may be unaware.
Let’s start a grace revolution. Let’s be intentional about grace and let’s lavish love. It will not only free “those people” from our harsh criticisms, it will free us from our own self righteousness. He prowls like a lion, recognize his schemes and refuse to fall prey. Love your neighbor…AS YOURSELF!
Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. -Luke 6:36
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Marla Geiger 