Ask God for help

It's Sunday morning. It's church. And we're on time. We've read the Bible and prayed. No one may notice the halo, but we're fairly sure it's there as we walk in. Unfortunately, the only seat free is next to that person; that person who is nail-bitingly annoying. Everyone has one of those people in their family, church, friendship group or workplace. Sometimes it's so easy to get caught up on how we would change them that we don't allow our interactions to change us. When someone is very frustrating, we are often blinded by our own prejudices.

When we realise that we have hang-ups, we have two options: to bury the frustration and keep building internal anger (which does us no favours), or to bring it to God and ask for help. Amazing news: he thinks that person is great (yes, really) and he thinks we're great too.

Proverbs 10:13 NLT says: 'Wise words come from the lips of people with understanding.' This is an antidote to frustration: if we ask God for his words, we will speak kindness into that person's life. As we choose to turn from negativity and ask God to show us his love for that person, we'll begin to see them through his eyes. If they change it will be through God's love, which he allows us to demonstrate. And, having that love flow through us will always change us, too.



So what now? Picture that person - now choose to pray positive things for them. Ask God for his perspective in your interactions with them.





— SCRIPTURE —

'Wise words come from the lips of people with understanding.' Proverbs 10:13 NLT
— SOULFOOD —

Exo 15:26, Ps 103:1-5, 1 Pet 2:24