I saw a post on Facebook recently that said, “Every person you see is someone Jesus thought enough to die for. Remember that in how you treat people.” This quote definitely made me think. I’ll be honest, some people make me mad by the choices they make. Sometimes in my frustration or in my anger, my thoughts get clouded. I seem to lose sight that God loves them and died for them too. I also have judged people based off my own perception of who I thought they may be. I saw them through the lens of feelings, instead of facts. We as humans tend to see through our own understanding, even without knowing everything. We draw up our own conclusions. Whereas God, He knows it all, all parts of ourselves and our lives. Yet, even in those broken parts, God chose to send His Son to die for us. Jesus still thought we were to die for. So, with that, shouldn’t we love in that same way? That does not mean we agree with certain actions or accept certain behavior. Though it does mean we must be kind. Or at the very least, not hate, and let God handle it. Friend, this is something that I still am working on. It is easy to look around and not feel angry and wonder how God can love some people. Though I know there are times, where God still loved me. I look around and I also see changed hearts, what if God gave up on people as easily as we sometimes do? Look at Saul, turned Paul in the Bible. Friend, we can hate a behavior, but we are called to love the person. Maybe love looks like, simply not hating. Choosing prayer and peace, where hate and animosity could have stayed. Maybe it looks like sticking up for what’s right, but doing it without malicious intent. Maybe it’s simply walking away and letting God handle it. For He knows what we do not and He is just. But we must just, remember to be like Christ in how we handle others. It is more than ok to ask for Gods help in being able to be like Him, especially when it’s hard. May we treat people, not how we would, but how Christ would.

Erin Fitts-Brower

Luke 6:27-28 NIV

 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

Matthew 5:44-45 NIV

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

John 3:16 NIV

 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.