Love Them Where They Are At

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8 NIV

Good Morning Girlfriends:

Customers were lined up to the door, as the workers behind the counter took each persons order, one at a time they moved over to the next station of where the food was being prepared until they reach the end where they paid for their order. Working diligently to get through the long line of customers, they could finally take a deep breath as they waited for another surge of customers.

Another couple came through the door, stepping up to the counter to place their order, they discussed what they wanted and then placed the order. "Two Angus beef subs coming right up," the lady behind the counter replied. The couple waited at the end to pay for the order and went to sit down with their food. A few minutes later the lady returned her sandwich, explaining that her sandwich was not like her husbands, the meat was still red. The worker behind the counter tried to explain to the customer that both sandwiches were made the same and went through the oven at the same time, as she continued to explain to the customer that she had watched it being put together and put through the oven. Not liking her reply, the customer threw the sandwich at the worker and was told to cook it again. Scooping up the sandwich, it was placed through the oven one more time just to make the customer happy. This time the employee personally brought the customer her sandwich to the table and spoke, "I hope you enjoy your meal," as she went on to another customer.

Inside, the employee felt very hurt, attacked from this customer, and had she could have said something different to the customer, but as she shared with me, she had kept her cool and responded in the way she knew that was the right way. As she continued to share with me about the meat that was on the two sandwiches, it's color is supposed to look red but the customer was not going to listen, so it was no use trying to further the explanation.

Girlfriends, there all kinds of people like that in the world, and we may run into them quite often. Many times we may be in a store where there is a customer giving an employee a difficult time, a child throwing a tantrum in the store, people cursing at one another in the parking lot. With all of the craziness that has been going on for the last couple of years, it has brought out so much anger and hatred in people that it seems to be everywhere you go. In our key verse it tells us to love deeply because love covers a multitude of sins. We are told in Cor. 16:14, to do everything in love, when someone speaks harshly to us, we are to give back a gentle response, be kind back to them instead of returning back to them what they just dished out, they will not know how to respond.

It also tells us in John 15:12, it is actually a command of God, we are to love one another as God has loved us. I'm sure there have been times in each of our lives where we may have acted in a way that was not very nice or loving, but still, God loved us. So if we are to be the example to others, because Jesus is our example, then we too must show love to others that may not be very lovable or hard to love. I have found when we respond in a kind way, a gentle and loving way, the other person doesn't know what to say or do, and it keeps them from coming back with another attack. Luke 6:31 tells us to do to others as you would have them do to you. If we would like to be spoken to in a kind manner, then we should speak in that way as well.

The more we get God's word into us, the easier it becomes, because you just become it, you talk it and you walk the way Jesus has taught us to. There will be days we will be tested, but when our entire focus is being more and more like Jesus, the easier it becomes.

Let's Pray,

Father God, I thank You and I praise You for the example You have given us to live each of our lives. Lord, I thank You that You show us how to love one another because You are that perfect love in which we learn from. Lord, Your word tells us that there will be days of great trials, Lord help us to always respond to other in the most kind and loving way possible. Lord, use us to be Your hands and feet to those we meet for the first time in order to lead them to the one and only You, in Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Be blessed, and pass the blessings on. Show love to those you meet todayas you are sharing God's love to them.