There are some people that get on our nerves, wound us with their words or actions, think only of their own needs, or talk non-stop and rarely listen to what we have to say. We can limit the amount of time that we spend with that person; however, our unconditional love for them can help to heal and change that wounded soul’s habits and responses to life.
There are key ingredients that display and nurture this unconditional love: changing our focus on their irritating qualities, giving them our undivided attention, sharing hugs if they agree, making them feel needed, recognizing their good qualities, supporting them in their efforts and ministry, etc.
When we run out of emotional capital in our soul in dealing with another person, and we turn to unconditional love, it is based on service, commitment, and preferring this other person’s needs without neglecting our own essentials. We may not cherish our relationship at the moment, but we can still commit to going the distance with our mutual relationship.
When we realize that God cherishes us, it is much easier to help someone else feel His love and care for them. In taking time to enjoy their company, we may even change their own perspective about themselves and how they relate to other people. Praying together about differences also helps us to find God’s will in every situation.
Encouraging another’s strengths and complimenting their efforts reinforces their pleasant behavior. That helps them and also helps us not to be so critical about that person in our heart. Remembering that we are all human, and that we all have our idiosyncrasies that irritate each other helps us not to feel superior to this other person.
Prayer:
Father God, teach us how to love the unlovable and how to change our focus about a person’s irritating habits that cause us to cringe when we see them coming. Help us to realize that they are a wounded soul who needs unconditional love from us. Remind us to pass Your Agape love, that we receive from You, on to them; and to encourage them when we see Your hand of blessing on their life.
As humans, we also have our idiosyncrasies that irritate other people too, so we should not set our self up as judge and jury for other people. When we pass a sentence on them, we can discourage them, and cause them to be even more insecure than they already are. As we accept one another with Your love that You give us, even while we are still sinners, we often discover the precious stones that each person has from their trials in life.
Thought for the Day:
No one is immune to having irritating habits that get on another person’s nerves; so as we learn to accept those who wear our nerves thin, we will reap from others what we sow to those whom we know who are less lovable than those with whom we enjoy spending time.
