What was that about!?

The most passionate and heart felt disagreements that I have ever experienced have been with those whom I love and care for the most.  

The center of my life is God followed by family, then friends, neighbors, etc. A greater breakdown could be listed something like, God, Wife, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, friends and so on.

We are the most vulnerable to those whom opinions matter to us, and how the message of those opinions are delivered to us, or in other words:

That is not to say that we don't care about what strangers may think about us, but we don't lose sleep over the guy that cuts us off on the way to McDonald's, though we may have prayed a prayer to Jesus asking for strength to refrain from giving him a "holy beat-down." At the end of the day, we really don't care what "that guy" thinks about us but we do care about what our loved ones think about us. But what about what we think about them?

What has God said about my wife that may have just offended me? What has God said about my mother, or my son, or sister, anyone that may have just wounded me with words, actions, or attitude? How does God our Father see them?

Romans 8:1-There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.² For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. Every accusation and all condemnation have been discharged in the torturing and execution of Christ, so why do you hold an offense against your brother or sister whom Christ, bled and died for?

1 Samuel 16:7-But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” Even though you may be very good at weighing someone's failures, actions, and shortcomings, you cannot weigh their intentions, Only God can.

1 Corinthians 13:13-So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. -It does not mean that faith and hope are less important than love, but faith and hope are dependent upon love. We love God because first loved us -1 John 4:19.

With eyes of faith, can you see your wife as His beloved daughter entrusted to you, to love, protect, treasure, guide and demonstrate Christ that laid down his life for the church so that his love would transform her heart?

You can take that mentality and apply it to varying levels in every human relationship. Think on this for one minute...

Now that you've stretched your thinking concerning people that you love or those that are precious to you, can you see that the stranger that may have cut you off or cussed you off in traffic? That person is also loved by someone and more importantly, is loved by your Father in Heaven.

That person could happen be someone that you know too! You just might realize a moment too late! Funnily and honestly enough, this actually happened to me. I had just finished dropping a friend off at his church and was leaving on an unfamiliar street that had a traffic light and yield intersection.  I was about to turn and then hesitated and then stopped before completing a left-hand turn and then realized that I was supposed to yield, which I did but the oncoming car was not having any of it.

I instantly was on the receiving end of angry obscenities yelled to me from a parent of one of my son's childhood friends. If you're reading this, I forgive you.

We must extend grace to all people that is by definition not merited and with love for what Jesus Christ our Lord has paid for and not for the momentary offense. Everyone is going through things that we cannot fully imagine, and this life is very hard at times, so this applies especially to those that are of your household, faith-family, and the ones you call friends.

John 13:35-By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”