Anyone ...

Usually, people who are not easy to live with or to be around do not have an issue with you or I as much as they have an issue with themselves.

When a person does not like him or herself in here, you will come to realize it quickly by what comes out of here! Hurting people hurt people! Problems within people usually lead to problems among people. That is exactly what Jesus is saying in Luke 6:43-45, “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn bushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”

The best thing that we can do when interacting with people who might not like themselves is to try and put ourselves in their place and understand the pressures that they are under and then in turn: give them a break. In that instance, we are not condoning or excusing their bad behavior, but instead, we are reacting calmly to their bad fruit.

We do not judge, or condemn, or make fun of, or look down on or turn up our nose to, but instead, we extend extra grace because that is what we would want in return.

Followers of Jesus: We must look into people as well as at them. Is it easy? No way! Is it what Jesus wants from us? Yes! Anyone can retaliate. Only followers of Jesus demonstrate what it look like to turn the other cheek.

Now is the time to paint ourselves purple as peers.