Day 28 - Head Butt the Difficult People - Daily Inspirational Verses from Real Life

John 13:34 ~ (MSG): “Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.”

Can you remember a group, team or activity, perhaps even at your church, that you were part of and it disintegrated into name calling and back biting?  Most of us can easily bring such a group to mind; perhaps a few of them.

From ROTC training courtesy of my High School, Culver Academies and the US Army; from Boy Scouts leadership from patrol leader through senior patrol leader and eagle scout; from fraternity president at Denison University; from many business experiences in science, sales and karate, I have learned that the best way to over come this feeling of being caught in quick sand of emotions is to ignore it, because it always goes away.  

Actually, the second way of dealing with it I learned at Krav Maga certification was to attack it head on, and since that agreed with what I learned in football an wrestling in high school and college, and since attacking fits with my own self image so well, I have more than often used that approach.  Courage and confrontation.  Be strong.  Overcome. Attack.

They all worked, and the issues have always gone away.  Recently however, I have discovered that my life had become buried in broken friendships, false accusations, thefts and pain.  To be sure, I was on the receiving end of them, and mostly not the cause, but it is hard for me to reflect on my life as a Christian, and see that type of pain in my wake, even if it is my pain or my families more than other people's pain.

This verse gives the solution.  I had been working in Man's wisdom, rather than Gods.  Pretty simple really.  Love one another AS JESUS loves us.  The example is clear.  There is NO ambiguity.  The results are LOVE.  What are you waiting for.  Make a change.  Right Now.  Love on another starting now, and make decisions based on that, rather than on duty, justice, law or fairness.  Love is enough.  Use it.

The only problem is, what you have experienced in your life, Loving the ones that attack you is impossible. You can say with your lips, "I forgive you," but as I am sure you have discovered, it is hard to say it with your heart.

Mission impossible for man.  But again, the solution is in this verse.  Love is a verb.  Do the things that love would have you do, even when your heart does not want to, and the world will change around you. The Spirit of God is with you, and can give you the power to act love out.  The Spirit of God will change everything after that.  Do it.

Mission Accomplished. with God.

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For information on be certain of your Status with God, overcoming your actions that keep you from God, and allowing you to accept his free gift of eternal life, Click Here.

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What to do if People are Crushing You

Used by Permission of www.GoodJobNotes.com

There are mornings when I wake up, and the weight of my life is crushing me.  I am not sure if the definitions I have of myself are valid, my own, or within the will of God.  I fear that the troubles that I have are a direct result of my sinful actions, which I repent and work mightily at correcting, but find myself time and time again in debt to the same feelings.

For example, I am petty.  There are several people who attack the very core of what we do in our mission field, which is teach people to improve their lives via the conduit of Martial Arts.  When I hear of the attack, which is almost always through a third party, it is viscous and petty.  My first response is almost always, "To Heck with them."  Some time later, sometimes seconds sometimes days later, I find myself asking God's forgiveness, and ask that he heal and protect them.  But my first response is to respond with anger, and hate, and fix it with my own power.  Later I realize that I am but a creature, and one in rebellion at that, when I act out my own salvation.  

Today is one of those days.  Fear grips my heart.  I am sure that the circumstances of my life are beyond my ability to cope with.  There is no solution.  Then something happens to open my eyes to the marvelous creation that God has made us part of.  This morning we are listening to a sports talk show in the car, hoping to hear some good news about the Red Sox, which just is not going to happen this year, and are frustrated with hearing only Patriots news.  The won.  When don't they win, except for when playing the Giants that is.  Then an interview happens with a former NFL quarterback who is a Jets fan now.  He thinks that Tim Tebow, the 2nd or 3rd string quarter back for the New York Jets, needs to be fired.  Why?  Because he thinks he is not a good NFL quarterback.  That is, however, not what Tim Tebow is known for.  He is known for his Love of Christ Jesus, and that is just where this interview went.  The local radio host asked this former quarterback, who is not an announcer, if he had interviewed Tim since he said Tim should be fired.  This announcer stopped dead in his speech, and then said, "I will say this about Tim, he is genuine," meaning he actually believes in Jesus, and lives his life accordingly.  He went on to say, without being asked, the Tim had asked for God's Blessing on that same announcer for each every time he had said something bad about him.  Not curse, not anger, just asking God to bless him.

Wow.  I needed to hear that this morning. A real life leader to show me the way. Thank You God.  You are awesome indeed.