Who Is Handling It?
Luke 6:27-36 (New Living Translation)
27 “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. 28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. 30 Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. 31 Do to others as you would like them to do to you.
32 “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! 33 And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! 34 And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return.
35 “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. 36 You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.
My Goddaughter and I were having a conversation earlier today and we were talking about how we know there has been change that has taken place in our lives. As I recalled a time in my life some years back that, I would get you told and quick. If you did something to hurt me, or to try to dog me, I would find a way to get back at you. But more over I would not waste any time of any words, I would tell you about yourself. As one of my old friends shared with me, I was a head swinging, finger pointing, going way off on you somebody. She said there were many a day she saw people walking away from me, and she could swear she saw body parts falling off as they walked away because my words had cut so deep. I was handling my business, or so I thought. I was ensuring that people were not going to take advantage of me, or get wise and not get what they dished out back in spades.
Funny, how times have changed, I am a big softy. I love unconditionally and give whole heartedly. Although I still have some rogue in me, I handle myself with decorum, class and restraint. I am about business, and if I feel the need to confront it is never meant to destroy only to express, teach, explain and even encourage to do better. I will always add a positive in the conversation. I am no longer a seek and destroy missile. When I came back to God several years ago, the one things I prayed for was that He would soften my heart and make me a vessel for His glory and that the mistrust and disregard for others would be gone and that I would heal from the things done in my life that inspired and encourage that type of behavior in me. I had to understand that I controlled little and that if I was going to live for Christ in a way that was pleasing to Him, and be submitted to His will, I had to release certain things. I found that I could not handle everything the way, I saw fit, and I could not give into every feeling at every minute. That to really be in God’s will was going to require me to allow God to handle things but more importantly handle people, especially the ones that came to hurt, harm, take advantage or mishandle me. I have watched every individual that has come into my life with ill intentions ( over these years), have to come back at one time or another and apologize because God had dealt with them, or I have watched circumstances arise in their lives that humbled them, to a point where they sought me out, or felt inspired to bless me.
It is funny how I use to get all up in arms, and let my panties get in a bunch over people and their treatment of me, but now I realize that I can stand still and let God handle it. I understand that He loves me enough, that He will take care of me. He is my father and He will defend me when others seek to hurt or even annihilate me. He is my friend so He is on my side. He is my Comforter so He will keep me out of harm’s way, or move me out of the presents of those that will hurt me. He is my shield so he will deflect and protect me. If you are seeking to live for God, there are just some things you are not meant to handle, your way and in your time. Let it go and let God, fight the battle for you, He always wins, and you will get the blessing in the interim. You are going to have to go beyond the ordinary to the extraordinary…Loving those in spite of!
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