I was at a dinner party one night when we had to be around a person who seems to be mean, for sport. I bent over backwards trying to be nice and kind to this person to no avail. “This person desperately needs Jesus, and it shows,” I told myself.
As the night began to unfold, there were continued jabs directed at me. It was such a crappy thing for this person to be so nasty and I wanted so badly to retaliate with a quick, snarky comeback. This was the night I invented the game, “Let’s invite Jesus to play.” I realized I needed a way to not focus on what the enemy was stirring up, but rather what God’s message to me was.
I knew God prepared my place at His table the moment I accepted Jesus as my Savior. I also knew God prepared a place for me at the particular table where we were seated that particular night years ago, so I could put my words into action.
“Do you love Me?” I remember feeling The Holy Spirit ask me. “Yes, I love You, but I really can’t stand this person,” I retaliated. “Aimee, do you love Me?” I kept feeling the nudge. I had excused myself to go to the restroom to text a couple of my prayer warriors and tell them the night was not going at all as I hoped, and would they please join me in prayer for the strength to keep my mouth shut and be kind? One of them told me, “Kill them with kindness, but don’t let them kill your joy.” As I reapplied my lipstick and looked myself in the mirror, there it was again, “Aimee, do you love Me?”
I knew exactly what I was feeling. I am quite familiar with the question, as I am sure you are, as well. John 21:15-17, Jesus asked Peter three times, “Do you love me?”
Jesus asked Peter this question three times, because Peter denied Jesus, three times. Pastor Steve touched on this last fall and reminded us, this questioning was restoration. Jesus was restoring Peter.
I knew The Holy Spirit was nudging me by asking, “Aimee, do you love Me?” because what I wanted to do was fire back a snarky, sarcastic, witty comment in the face of this person’s cruelty. This was why I invented, “Let’s invite Jesus to play” that night. Because this person who was being so nasty to me was one of Jesus’ sheep. And He wanted me to feed His sheep with His love, instead of my sarcasm.
By picturing Jesus standing behind the person being so nasty, I was keeping my eyes on Jesus, not on the enemy’s attempts for me to also be mean. It isn’t easy to love unkind people, but it is what Jesus tells us to do. We do not have to be their emotional punching bag, but we do need to show love, as much as we can; as long as it depends on us. “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” - Romans 12:18 (NIV)
We can only do so much, I know, when we are dealing with truly difficult people. Picturing Jesus standing next to them helps me keep my mouth shut, so I don’t retaliate with nasty words. As far as it depends on me, I do what I can to live at peace with everyone around me. But sometimes, if this is not possible, you can walk away from the toxic people. This is necessary in order to guard your heart.
But as long as it depends on us, let’s respond with His love, not our sarcasm.