So simple, like Sunday School basic, yet my little brain couldn't grasp it very well.
I'll attempt to elaborate.
I'm sure everyone out there has a person who has hurt them/annoys them in some way. At least, you might have someone that you don't like very much at all.
(If you don't, well, great for you! You don't need to read this. You can leave.)
Sadly, I have some peoples of whom I am not a fan. They're like burrs in my shoe (don't worry, it's not you). God has been working on me ever-so-slowly.
I'll use an old example:
When I was working at chick-fil-a, there were customers who were in bitter, foul, hateful moods. One lady in particular was bent on ruining everyone's day. Smiles, kindness, etc., had no visible impact on her. She found fault with everything. I inwardly screamed as I served her. I didn't blow up or lose my temper outwardly, thank goodness.
Eventually, after she complained about everything, chewed me out for calling her m'am, and talked to a manager, she left with her food. I had a 10-minute interaction with that woman, but boy, she made an impression.
There is quite a bit of literature that talks about just how unique and special we are to God. It's really great to hear, but it's is a two edged sword.
This is a you-centered (rather, me-centered) society in which we live.
It is fabulous that we are all special to God; He delights and is enthralled by us.
He made us all unique.
It makes me joyful to think that God loves me more than any other person could, that He totally completes me, He has a perfect, exciting plan for my life... I could make the list go on and on.
But see, I'm a self-centered individual. I only truly see things from my standpoint, so naturally, I assume that all things revolve around me. (relativity, eh? Physics in everyday life! w00t!) My focus has been on myself.
I am special to God. Me, me, me! Yay!
I haven't focused on the fact that He loves everyone.
I wrongly think that if something is really special, there must be something less special to which it can be compared.
It isn't so with God.
He doesn't play favorites.
So, just as much as he loves me, He loves that cranky woman.
Um.
That really changes my viewpoint. God loves her just as much as he loves me? What? We are all equally important in His eyes?
While I haven't said, "the annoying, hateful people don't mean as much to God", and I know that we are all special to Him, my actions haven't really shown it.
Talk about ugly pride!
I've had the brain knowledge, but not the heart action.
Every person has an eternal soul.
Every person is of infinite value to God.
God calls me to love others like Christ does, (which is some majorly sacrificial love, you know) He died for people who hated Him and had Him killed.
...that woman was hardly going to kill me.
If I can zoom out from just looking at me (a hard thing) and act like we are all loved by God, radical things could happen.
All humans are precious treasures to Him, though sometimes I hardly treat them as such, especially when they get on my nerves.
I'm going to work on this.
For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.~1 John 3:11-18
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