Articles
I Can Control Me
The fact is that LIKING everybody we meet is going to be impossible. Bullies, terrible neighbors, unfair bosses, weasley co-workers, unfaithful friends, and even divisive fellow Christians -- try as we might, difficult people are impossible to avoid.
We may find that as we peel away the layers of people we do not like, or who treat us poorly, those people actually do not like themselves. Difficult people often suffer from self-loathing, whether consciously or unconsciously. They may not even realize how much they dislike themselves, which is why it is so important for us to be patient with them. Some people only treat others poorly to keep their attention off of their own problems. Truly, this may be the root cause of much of the world’s complaints. When somebody looks for faults in you, they are only doing that to make themselves feel better. They think that if you have faults in your marriage, in your parenting, in your attitudes, etc., then their faults are excused.
But, friends, we cannot choose how others will treat us, only how we will respond. And what a shame it is to see Christians bickering over stupid things, refusing to get along. In most cases, discontentment in relationships is over pointless things. God never wins when the battle is petty. “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). It should be our goal as Christians to live at peace with all people. We should never want to exacerbate social or relational problems, or open old wounds for no good reason. The desire of the holy person is peace, contentment, quietness, and unity with others. Treat others better than they treat you – always! “Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:27-28). “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men” (Romans 12:18). “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you” (1 Thessalonians 4:11).
