Tim Maas Supporter Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

Our relationships with others on all levels (personal, professional, avocational, or whatever) in this life will have their ups and downs.

There will be people whom it will be a joy for us to know, to work with (or for), or to spend time with, and there will be others with whom it will be difficult for us to get along (for whatever reason).

In addition, as Jesus said, our commitment as Christians may put us on the "wrong side" of some people for that reason alone, because we will be in conflict with what the world practices or values (John 15:18-19).

We may also even have conflicts and misunderstandings with the people we love, and who love us and are the closest to us. They may misread our intentions, or not show what we believe to be adequate appreciation for our efforts.

Also, even if people don't intentionally mean to slight us, they may do so simply because they (like we) are fallible, imperfect beings, who are concentrating on their own individual needs and concerns. 

However, rather than responding with disappointment or resentment, or allowing the reactions of others to deter us from loving and helping them, our perspective as Christians should be that the actions that we perform for others are and should be first and foremost a service for God, because God will view each such situation with perfect justice and fairness, and it is from God, rather than people, from whom we will ultimately receive the only praise and rewards for our actions and intentions that really have value (because they will be eternal).

January 25 2016 • 1 response • Vote Up • Share • Report