Let’s Lift Each Other Up.

75% of the time I would rather be friends with all boys. And i mean it. Girls are so moody and mean and gossip too much and are draining. And the thing is I’m one of those girls, I’m sure of it. But I’m so tired of feeling that way about others knowing I need to reflect on myself a little longer before I point out alllll the things they’re doing wrong.

But it hurts. I’ve heard all my life that people aren’t always going to treat me the way I want and expect to be treated, and I’ve grown so tired of hearing that statement that I’ve really not thought about the deeper truth residing inside of it: we all react to actions, emotions, words, etc. in a unique way. Sometimes I think I’m having a perfectly normal conversation with my sister, and she thinks I’m yelling at her. That doesn’t mean either of us are wrong; it just means that the way I say things and the way she perceives my tone comes across in a way that I didn’t intend.

That rings true for a lot of my friendships. They say things that I know they don’t mean, but regardless the words sting. I say things in a way that I feel is loving, and they feel is me trying to mother them. This semester I’ve had more frustration in friendships than I’ve had in a long time, and I know that has a lot to do with the fact that my relationship with the Lord feels stronger than it has in months, maybe years, and the world is just trying to shake me hoping to pull me back into its grips and patterns. Be frustrated with people. It’s okay to gossip. Cut out people that hurt you once. The world keeps telling me these lies over and over to the point I’ve become so upset and overwhelmed I’ve just started to believe these lies.

I don’t want to believe that, and I know that I don’t believe that. I know what’s true of the people around me, and they know what’s true of me and my character. We’re all flawed and because of that we sin, but there’s no excuse for hurting one another. That’s just allowing sin to foster and develop into something bigger than it should ever be. We’re allowing Satan to see victory and closing ourselves off from the Lord in one singular swoop.

I’ve been reading through a She Reads Truth study about the gospel of Luke and a certain passage from Luke has really been heavy on my heart lately.

The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost. – Luke 19:10

I’ve seen and read that verse plenty of times but something about this week and reading it through this study and in the wake of a really hard season, it just struck a different cord. Not only did Jesus come to save the lost, He came to seek the lost. I’ve also really noticed a pattern of Jesus pulling people into smaller, quieter spaces to have what I’m assuming is more personal, intimate conversation throughout Luke. My Savior came to seek out and know deeply every single person that has hurt me, every person that has been a friend to me, those I’ve never met, and every single soul that breathes He. desires. to. know. all. If Jesus can take the time to seek out someone as broken and sinful as me, why do I think I’m above loving those that have hurt me?

I’m not. Jesus didn’t die for me to wallow in my self-pity of a bad week or hurtful conversations, He died to save me and know me and love me well. I can at least try to strive to do the same, no matter the cost. Jesus stopped at nothing for me after all.

And not only that, Jesus died so I would have life, and have life to the fullest. We’ve been talking about that a lot the past couple weeks in a series at my church called “Reframing Jesus.” What Jesus wants isn’t an ordinary, pain-free life. There may be suffering. There may be moments that sting, but ultimately we’re here to share the good news of His Name and what life can be like once our earthly life ends. We can have eternity with Him. Can we have the boldness to declare that and shout that from the rooftops? Or will we sit back in our recliner chairs, unconcerned with the fact that Jesus is calling us, pressing on our hearts to be more than we are in this moment. To love harder than we do for the sake of aligning our love to look more like His. To be kinder than we are because as humans we are sinful but as His children we are forgiven and now have a joy that even the devil cannot steal. To be more connected in the moment than we are in our phones, to put down the technology and remember the people around us.

He’s asking for more, and I’m hoping and praying that I can grow stronger each and every day to walk in His presence and mold my thoughts, actions, and speech to look a little more like what His does.

I want that for you too, and maybe that’s already your reality. But if not I would love to challenge one another and be for each other in a way that reflects the Lord in all we do.

Thanks for reading, friend.

xo,

msv