Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.     Galatians 6:2 ESV

We see tragic stories on the news. We sympathize with those who have been the victims of unspeakable crimes or tragedies. But we forget many tragedies are unseen. They happen with no one but the perpetrator and the victim knowing they have occurred.

We often encounter people who are broken inside. We encounter people doing the best they can to get through the day. They may seem odd. They may seem standoffish. They may seem downright unpleasant. It’s not our job to judge their behavior. It’s our job as Christians to help to bear their burden.

As Christians, we follow Christ. We are called to imitate Christ (Ephesians 5:1). Jesus Christ came to this earth to die for a bunch of miserable sinners like you and me. He died for his enemies (that’s you and me when we sin).

He didn’t fault us for being odd, unapproachable or unpleasant. He died for us just the same while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). He didn’t wait for us to get our act together and thank God He didn’t. He died for our sins so we could come to Him, receive forgiveness and have eternal life.

He was falsely accused. He was beaten and humiliated and tortured and killed on a cross because of my sin and your sin. So, when you are thinking how unfair a situation is, think about that situation. How unfair is it that He who had no sin in His life died for our sin so that we might have eternal life (2 Corinthians 5:21)?

When you run across someone who is hard to get along with, understand they may be suffering inside. They may have experienced unspeakable tragedy that never made the news. They may be suffering in silence. The only way they can move past this is through Christ. The only chance they have for coming to Christ might just be when they see Christ in you.

Will they see Christ in you, or will they see the devil at work? In order for them to see Christ in us, we must model what the Bible tells us about dealing with difficult people. It has a lot to say about this subject.

Romans 15:2 says, “Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.” Job 6:14 says, “He who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty.” In Leviticus 19:18 the Israelites were told, “You are not to take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.”

When Jesus was questioned about the greatest commandments, He said the second greatest commandment was that we love our neighbor as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:39). We like to do good for ourselves, don’t we? We forgive ourselves when we slip up. We want what’s best for ourselves. We are to do the same for our neighbors.

Romans 12:10 says, “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” Jesus instructed us in Matthew 7:12, “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” This is known as the Golden Rule.

Note it doesn’t say, only do good to those who do good to you. It says to do to others (all others) as you would want them to do unto you.

I’ll be honest, this is something I struggle with on a daily basis. I find it very difficult to love people that mistreat others. I find it hard to love people that are mean and that stir up strife. But Christianity is not for sissies. God doesn’t call us to do the easy stuff. He calls us to love as He loves us and to forgive as He forgives us.

I get it. Some people are so mean and destructive, the best we can do is pray for them and love them from a safe distance. I just know that I have done so much wrong, I need to get this one right even when it’s really hard. I need to forgive others because God has forgiven me for so much.

I’m not saying people should get a free pass because they have suffered hurt in the past. I’m just saying that it’s God’s job to judge their actions. It’s our job to model actions that could actually lead them to Christ. Be sure you know the difference.

Keep in mind that you may be the only Bible they will ever read. Proceed with caution.

Have a great day!