There are those moments as a Christian when a Biblical truth hits me on the head so hard that it becomes a permanent part of my belief system. Beth Moore was speaking on the fruit of the Spirit and talking about the difficult people that make you want to pull your hair out. They are everywhere—in the workplace, in the family, in Wal-Mart and even at church!
I believe I was born a teacher. I taught my animals as a toddler and wrote my first poem when I was four. I always believed those irritating people were there for me to teach. Titus 2:4 says “and so train the young women to love their husbands and children (ESV).” I longed to be their example even though I knew I wasn’t always a good one. That was, I believed, my purpose in their lives.
What an attitude of arrogance and pride! One of my oldest and dearest friends told me recently that she believes 90 percent of our sin stems from our prideful attitudes. The famous love passage in 1 Corinthians 13 says “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud…(NIV)” My job is not to teach anyone unless it’s part of the Holy Spirit’s plan–not mine. They are there to teach me how to love. God put them in my life for me to learn from them, not the other way around. It doesn’t matter what they say or what they do. What matters is my response. They are there to help me grow as a Christian.
Since that moment I have tried to be more teachable. The greatest gift God gives a teacher is the ability to learn. We know nothing about God. He just gives us little glimpses of himself once in a while that we are privileged to share with others when the time is right. Most of the time, He just wants us to learn how to love our difficult people the same way Jesus loved the disciples and others. That’s all. He can take care of them without our help.