So, here I am, another boring Friday night. Aren't weekends suppsed to be fun for college students? My homework is done (thats a first), my roomate went home for the night, and it auctually a pretty quiet night on my hall (another first). So, I'm left here to think.... and think... and think. Fortunately for the two people who might auctually read this (Wendy and Brooke), I'm pretty good at thinking, so, here are just a few of the brilliant thoughts filling my head tonight:
"For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate sin." -Psalm 36:2
Lately, it seems like I've been getting slammed with the same message... "Love others". I know this sounds simple, and obvious, but I so often tell myself that it's okay not to love certain people because of the things they have said or done, or that I don't have treat people with respect if they don't treat me with respect.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I let people take advantage of me. Some people see it as a personality flaw, others see it as a good opportunity. People are quick to realize that I can't say no. A good example of this was a few months ago: Wendy and Emma came for a visit, and while gallavanting around Canton, we stopped in at Toy's R Us. When it was time to pay, Wendy handed me the money and went to the bathroom, while me and Emma bought a lovely 6 foot pink snake. Of course the man behind the counter told me how great it would be if I had a Toys R Us rewards card. Do I shop at Toys R Us? No. Do I plan on having children in the near future? Heck no! So, why then did I find myself looking at Wendy, shamefully displaying my new Toys R Us card saying "Proof I can't say no!" Anyways, my point is, that people are mean sometimes.
Its not as if I don't realize that I'm being taken advantage of... I'm nice, not dumb. But, instead of saying how I feel, I kind of just get bitter. So of course, I rationalize in my head that it is totally okay to dislike, or even hate people. I mean it makes sense right?
However, God calls us to love one another. Loving dosen't mean that you have to like them, or that you have to want to spend all of your time with them. According to Rich Deem:
Everybody seems to believe that love is a good thing. However, not all agree what is love. Is love that warm touchy-feely feeling a person has when he is with a familiar person? According to the Bible, love is caring in action. Love isn't what we feel, but what we do.
Maybe we don't have to have great affection towards all of those people who have hurt us. Maybe I dont have to be best friends with the girl who only likes me because I help her with her homework. Its not about how we feel about people necessarily, but instead about how we treat others. No matter what someone does to me, or neglects to do for me. The bible makes it pretty clear that I have to respect and love them.
So, I guess maybe I am not very good at getting my thoughts across, but hopefully you get the point. Who knew this would be a sermon?
I think we should listen to Kourtney more carefully lol. You let people take advantage of you, and I apologize for silly things sometimes. However, God made us with these qualities for a reason. So maybe we shouldn't think of them as a bad thing.
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