Loving People Different Than You
You know what's freeing? Realizing that I can love people who have different viewpoints than me. Coming to the conclusion (after months of turmoil) that I can actually love others when they don't see things through the same lens as me.
You know what's also freeing? Deciding that I can still watch and love sports without agreeing with a lot of the politics that have found their way into them. I wish something as simple as sports could just be about the fun of the game, BUT I have a choice to focus on what I love about sports or get worked up about the things that I can't change surrounding the game and in turn give up something that brings me joy. I can put my daughter in this onesie that I've looked at every day for the past three months (and got sad every time because I figured she wouldn't be able to wear it).
Putting her in this outfit today was a big deal for me. May seem silly, but it’s a physical representation that walls that were keeping me trapped are crumbling as I continue to seek the Lord and question why I think the way that I think.
You know what else? I can love people who choose different sins than I choose. I don't think we should ever settle in our sins and we should always strive to become more like Christ, but I can also love people even when they're choosing to settle. I can love them more by realizing that was (and sometimes still is) me and pray for them like I know others have for me.
I can also feel really strongly about something controversial and not post about it (I know, who dis, right?). Haha
Yall, we were made to serve others. We were made to overcome through the blood of the cross. We were made to change a victim, all about me mentality, to a serving mindset. Get this, a lot of times, we can do more good behind the scenes ;)
When you make a choice to not let circumstances sway your thoughts and in turn your emotions, you find a lot of freedom. You find ways to be a part of the change, and most of the time that starts in the stillness of your own heart.
God has, and is, doing open-heart surgery on me. I'm a work in progress, but learning to love others, regardless of circumstances and without always agreeing with them, has been worth the journey thus far. I am choosing to continue to learn how to love others well, even others who are different than me (because it is 100% a choice). What are you choosing today?
