I like surrounding myself with fun people. I often avoid those who carry a lot of emotional baggage such as bitterness, addictions, or depression. I avoid people who aren’t nice. Let’s face it. Life is short. Why waste a perfectly great night out with people who don’t seem to “fit in”? After all, those babysitters aren’t cheap. Why invite them into my home only to watch the clock and wonder when they are going to go back to their house? Why return their calls? Respond to their e-mails? They never seem to listen to my advice anyway. They are still going to hold onto their stuff like it’s a sack full She Takes the Cake’s “Chocolate Therapy”. And, my condolences to you poor souls who’ve never tasted that little bit of heaven.
I like fun people.
But, Jesus said love your enemies. Now, I don’t consider the people described above as enemies. But, if God wants us to love our enemies, I’d bet he means them, too.
This kind of love isn’t easy, is it? The Apostle Paul wrote, “I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding” (Philippians 1:9, NLT). This means that as we get to know Jesus – and understand who He is more and more, that this kind of love will grow. Not overnight. It’s a lifelong process.
I think the first thing to remember is that we ourselves are in desperate need of a Savior. That we, too, fall short and fall short often. Pride sets in when we don’t realize how God loves us in spite of our failures and short-comings. And, we all know that pride and love mix about as well as oil and water. But, when we see that we all need His grace, then we become less judgmental. And, loving the not so fun people becomes easier.
Who did Jesus chill out with when He walked the earth? Well, not the self-righteous Pharisees. Nope. Not a one. He kicked it back with prostitutes, stinking fishermen and even the I.R.S. of the day. And, we are called to love just as He loved.
It doesn’t mean it’s an easy endeavor. But, we have the Holy Spirit within us. And, that empowers us to love with the love that lives within us. As a child of God, that kind of love is our inheritance.
One day, I might even share my “Chocolate Therapy” with the not so fun people.
I’m just kidding. I don’t even share that with my friends.
Do you struggle loving the hard to love?
DustyTakle.com 
I think it is the single greatest challenge for the believer as it relates to his or her witness. We can be so sheltered with our social capsule we rarley have a chance to allow our light to impact the “others”. I like to think our best mandate for the Church is , “take the poeple nobody wants and turn them into the ones everbody wants”. By the way why do you have some therapy and I dont!!
All I want to know is….WHAT IS CHOCOLATE THERAPY AND WHERE DO I GET IT??????
Absolutely. First I struggled to realize that I didn’t need difficult people in my life. Then, I struggled to learn how to love them. My own mother, now departed from this realm, was one of those difficult people. Talk about a balancing act on my part! Even now, I find I am learning more and more to be able to love those difficult ones in my life without entrusting my emotional realm to them or subjecting myself to their emotional states. It’s a stretch!
Mike, since I moved to OKC, Jennifer has been overnighting me Therapy on dry ice each week. You?
Judy, call Jennifer Doss. It’s the most wonderful treat in the world!
Oh, yeah….it’s always an opportunity to REALLY love. Sometimes I’m not very good at it….
Yeah. It takes a TON of effort.
I has become easier as I get older but still a challenge
The very best way I have found to show love for the hard to love or my enemies is to pray for their personal relationship with Jesus to be amazing and real…..NOW YOU CAN PRAY THAT FOR EVERYONE….RIGHT?
Great outlook, with me, the unlovable are the ones that don’t choose life. They keep darkness at the door they go through each day. I want the light of God in my life, to keep me stable. I had a good friend, she was saved, & became bitter, she would sit next to me, at Church, make negative comments about every word that was spoken at the pulpit, it defiled me. I loved her, prayed for her, but God moved her away from me. PTL! lol
Then there are the negative, that are placed in your life, you have no choice but to learn to “not get on the same page” but to brush it off, pray, ohhh, yes, pray really hard!
Then the people that you can choose to be around, then choose not to be around. That is where I learned alot from the book, “Boundaries” it is a great book of knowledge! I learned, ‘what is mine, what isn’t, in that book.
Have a great day girl. Keep em coming! love you!
Yes, I struggle with this. It’s only when I let the Lord love through me that I’m able to do it at all. Insightful post.
This subject sucks, because it hits me in the gut. I am all about me, love your neighbor as you love yourself, well I have the love yourself down, God is still working in me on the neighbor part. It is very tough to love your neighbor, enemy or anyone not like me. Now I know why you don’t hang out with me and my wife.
Judy, YES you can!
Lynn, it is difficult to be surrounded by people who only see the glass half-empty. “Boundaries” is a great book. I should read that one again!
LauraLee, He makes all things possible. Thanks for stopping by!
Rodney, it’s not you. It’s Maurine. I only kid. I think the Holts are fabulous!! Miss you guys. See you at lifegroup soon?
Dusty, they say that miserable people like miserable company but they always seem to seek out happy people; I wonder why?? 🙂 I think (okay, I know) I used to be one of “them”. I call them “Him’s” (HIgh Maintenance). You’re so right though, miserable or not, He loves us (I mean them) too. 🙂
Jennifer – overnighting on dry ice to Dusty in OKC? I do believe that shipping to Athens, Georgia, is much much cheaper and let’s get serious, who loves Chocolate Therapy the most? me or Dusty? (I dare you to answer….) 🙂
PS. Dusty, I wouldn’t share either. I don’t blame you for this. Love all you want. Share Chocolate Therapy with no one.
Hullo!! Those prostitutes, stinky fishermen, and IRS workers were / are the fun ones to hang out with!! I like all my easy to be with peeps too. never fear, God is stretching me to move outta that zone 😉 Great blog, girlfriend!