On our walk and journey with Jesus, how nice would it to that those we met along the way would always easily lift us up to Him? Ones who would help us turn our eyes to Him.
But for me, that's has not always been the case. There have been people in my life that I would consider not easy to be with. In fact, I would consider them difficult to deal with.
When I was in high school I can remember such a person. We were in the same group of friends, sometimes it seemed we were even friends. But more often then not, they just rubbed me the wrong way.
I shared, no I complained, to a mentor teacher about how much they bothered me. Multiple times, I vented to him about this person and patiently he listened. I complained about how annoying and bothersome they were. How they seemed to know the exact buttons to push to get me riled up. And being the good Christian girl I was, I had even prayed that God would change them so they would quit bothering me.
Finally, after many of these venting sessions, this wise teacher ask me, "Have you prayed about it?" Of course I'd prayed about it! I had already told him I had prayed about it.
"No," came his reply. "Have you asked God to change your heart about this person?"
What?! I was offended. No, I'm not praying that God change my heart. My heart wasn't what needed to be changed, it was theirs!
As I left there, that conversation did lay heavy on my heart. Was it mine that needed changing? Bit by bit, through the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ worked on my heart. And though to some it may seem small and insignificant, God performed what I consider a huge miracle. That changing of my heart.
"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." Psalm 51:10
But for me, that's has not always been the case. There have been people in my life that I would consider not easy to be with. In fact, I would consider them difficult to deal with.
When I was in high school I can remember such a person. We were in the same group of friends, sometimes it seemed we were even friends. But more often then not, they just rubbed me the wrong way.
I shared, no I complained, to a mentor teacher about how much they bothered me. Multiple times, I vented to him about this person and patiently he listened. I complained about how annoying and bothersome they were. How they seemed to know the exact buttons to push to get me riled up. And being the good Christian girl I was, I had even prayed that God would change them so they would quit bothering me.
Finally, after many of these venting sessions, this wise teacher ask me, "Have you prayed about it?" Of course I'd prayed about it! I had already told him I had prayed about it.
"No," came his reply. "Have you asked God to change your heart about this person?"
What?! I was offended. No, I'm not praying that God change my heart. My heart wasn't what needed to be changed, it was theirs!
As I left there, that conversation did lay heavy on my heart. Was it mine that needed changing? Bit by bit, through the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ worked on my heart. And though to some it may seem small and insignificant, God performed what I consider a huge miracle. That changing of my heart.
"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." Psalm 51:10
This is the prayer I want for my life. Not just one I pray for when things are going smoothly and people are easy to be around. But, especially when dealing with difficult people. And God promises that He will do it.
"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." Ezekiel 36:26
Instead of being hardened towards these difficult people, I have a choice. I can choose to let my emotions control my actions-my life. Or, I can ask God to change my heart and allow Him to control my life.
I'd like to say the we became best friend. We didn't. But, what happened was no less then a miracle. God changed the way I saw them. I no longer felt irritation and upset every time I saw them. God softened my heart towards them, that this time when I would pray for them, it was genuine. I prayed not that God would change them, but that God would bless them.
So, I guess you can say difficult people in my life do lift me up to God. When I feel that my emotions want to get the better of me, or I get stuck on how much they bother me, I have a choice. I can choose to remain irritated and upset at them and allow that to contol me. Or, I can choose to turn my eyes and my heart to the One who can truly change me.
~kartini r. maxson
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