Endurance in the Face of Irritation

I am convinced that God puts certain people in our lives for the sole purpose of testing us and our patience.

Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. We all have those people that make us cringe as soon as they walk in the room. It's a continual test when you're around them.

As an R.A., I get to deal with people - a lot of people - on a regular (read "non-stop") basis. This is both a blessing and a curse. A lot of the people I deal with are easy to handle, and I enjoy being around them. Others...not so much. And yet it is my job responsibility to be as kind as possible to all of these people, and to smile while I'm doing it. (Even if I'm screaming on the inside.)

But certain people just really push our buttons. Whether they're doing it knowingly or unknowingly, sometimes they really can be hard to handle.

I can think of a few people in particular who live in my dorm that I have a really hard time dealing with and being around. When I see them, my demeanor instantly hardens. I struggle to be kind, and if at all possible I avoid them like the avian bird flu. (Respirator mask and all.)

But I shouldn't be like that.

In fact, these are the people I should be reaching out to the most.

As a human, though, it's difficult for me to do so. So I need to pray continually for strength and for awareness so I will know when I'm doing this (and therefore kick myself in the pants). Because if it were up to me, I'd stay far. far. away.

Here's the kicker: these very difficult people know that my good friends and I are Christians. They watch us, they're aware of our tacit claims to be different, which (hopefully) are shown through our lifestyles.

When we fail in this regard, we hurt not only these people, but we hurt the chances that they will be swept up in a love affair with the One who so graciously has saved us from our sins.

After all, when we're not acting any differently than they do, what can they assume about Christianity? They doubtless ask themselves the question of "What's the benefit?" After all, when we portray Christianity as a set of rules to follow instead of a relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, combined with our actions that sometimes show we act no differently and show no more love than a non-Christian...what's enticing about that? If the lost only see our corrupted version of "religion" rather than the relationship it should be, we are not furthering the Kingdom. We're proving to be obstacles when in fact we should be assets.

I'm not saying we have to hang out with these difficult people all the time - but I am saying that when we are around these people, we (difficult as it may be) need to love them as Christ loves them...as Christ loves us.

I'm not living a life in isolation. And so life often calls for endurance, even - or maybe especially - in the face of irritation.

God puts me in situations and in front of people who need to see Jesus in my actions, who need to see His love in my words, who need to see that a true relationship with the Lord indeed is utterly, completely and pervasively transformative. To this end, I need at all times to be on guard and ensure that when I'm tested by tiresome or pesky people - when I'm tempted to respond with a stiff arm instead of a warm heart - that I respond with the furious, all-embracing love of Christ we talked about yesterday.

It can be a tall task, and a very daunting one. But if I gird myself with Christ, then it is a very winnable battle.