Our way is tit-for-tat. God’s way is a lot higher.
“[P]ray for those who mistreat you.” Luke 6:28
“[P]rayer might be defined as loving our neighbor on our knees.” Charles. H. Brent
stop and start
When you finally stop playing Wizard of Oz and start letting people see behind the curtain, you can finally rest. It’s one of God’s good surprises.
“Beware of posing as a profound person; God became a baby.” Oswald Chambers
“[C]lothe yourselves with humility toward one another. . . .” 1 Peter 5:5
your father
If your father is harsh and demanding, you might do the right thing because you can’t bear his disapproval. If he is compassionate and gracious, you just can’t bear to hurt him.
“[Jesus] look[ed] around at them, . . . grieved at their hardness of heart. . . .” Mark 3:5
Father, create in me the kind of heart that delights You.
who made her
It’s hard to complain about somebody or write her off or take her for granted when you remember who made her.
“For You created [her] inmost being; You knit [her] together in [her] mother's womb. . . . Extraordinary and marvelous are Your works. . . .” Psalm 139:13-14
“I will (choose to) sing for joy at the works of Your hands.” Psalm 92:4 (parenthetical added)
again and again
When you get sick and tired of wandering off in wrong directions (for an afternoon or a decade), every step toward home is a relief.
“He longed to fill his stomach with the husks that the swine ate. . . . So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son and threw his arms around him and kissed him again and again.” Luke 15:20
“The rags, the husks, the swine, the hunger-quest drive home the wanderer to the Father’s breast.” George Macdonald
remember
It’s a relief to remember that you’re not responsible for how you feel about the people you meet today – only for how you choose to treat them.
“Do not waste time bothering whether you ‘love’ your neighbour; act as if you did. . . . If you do [someone you dislike] a good turn, you will find yourself disliking him less. . . .” C. S. Lewis
“(Choose to) love your neighbor.” Mark 12:31 (parenthetical added)