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April 28, 2021 6:00 am
Let's face it, we all have people in our lives that we don't get along with. Maybe it's a noisy neighbor and annoying relative harsh coworker or a friend.
You just butt heads with our natural instinct is to be hostile and bitter toward that person that God calls us to a radically different mindset. Today my wife Teresa shares how you can respond to that problem person in your life. Stay with welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge mission of these daily programs is to intentionally disciple Christian Bible teaching pastor were in the middle of Teresa Ingram series, hopefully forever. The last time she talked about the tender love God demonstrates toward us in this program. Teresa explains why loving others is so even people we disagree with verdicts last was especially tough business. If you're looking for extra encouragement in this area. Stick around after the teaching for our time with Jim and Teresa here in studio with that. Let's listen now to part two of a message teddy bear hugs from above actions well I just want to walk away and I people always tell our story to talk about encouragement to someone we help the children shall show letter Teresa Calcutta says we must not drift away, works because these are the works. Nobody will do is never too small. We are so small things in a small way.
But God, being 90 sees everything great. Therefore, even if you write a letter for a blind man we just going listen for you taken now for handling a visit somebody or bring a flower to some nice things to wash clothes for something to clean house very humble work that is where you dynasty for there are many people who can do things that they are very people who brought you the small things people got to meet everyone's needs and to give away is not asking us to do that, but he is asking us to live with our actions that should matter to our words people see, East see Christ Dr. G. Campbell Morgan was a famous preacher at one time a British preacher and he had five sons and officers became preachers ministers of the gospel and I was reading a story about him once it said one day a visitor in their home dared to ask a personal question and the question was which one piece sex is the best preacher in their united answer was there. Campbell never preached that her life was a constant sermon the life of a Christian who abides in God's love is potent witness for God.
Man cannot see God is not moving us to date Chilean Celeste word and deed love for others is a choice that when it's not always feeling first John 323 says and this is his commandment, we must believe in the name of his son Jesus Christ, and love one, just as he can speak commandment and it's a choice that we have to make condition in this passage of the art show love to just says one there.
It doesn't say love those who are always kind and it just doesn't take a lot of those who you like to be with anther to love those who do things just the way anyone can do letter labs when love is receptive reciprocated, but it's just not one it's a command and you need to cancel command.
We always gives us all we need to be able to obey. So, if we choose.
And God will help us live people. I remember neighbor that I had once he was very, very hard to live.
She just about drove me nuts. She complained all the time. She borrowed things all time. She would drop by my house just so frequently to use something so irritated with this lady she's just so robbing me of my privacy and I didn't want to do is right next door tells us to be Christians, loving people. So first I did the spiritual thing. I pride, I pray that she wouldn't the human thing. The selfish thing I planted great big hedge between my house and I can look at all the time. Sometimes the rail made a soft okay well Christlike baked some cookies and went to senior took an interest in her teens listen to struggles and there came a time when God gave me the opportunity to be able to confront her issues that were causing our relationship to be so hard.
And God changed heart and it was amazing to me.
We became such good friends and we are to this day. And so God would change our hearts when we make that choice to begin to love others the way Christ loves us and it's a choice we make to choose to show respect and love for anyone. God brings into our lives. Even if we don't feel a lot affection for person in God's desire is so great that we love one another that he gives us in first Corinthians 13 very clear definition of what it looks like to be lived out in your life every day first 2013 defines divine love. Agape love and how it should be expressed in lives of believers. And so what were going to do is I'm going to read this passage is that you have here. I'm going to define them as you a few questions and then would like you to do just a personal inventory. Just open your heart to show you you're doing this area doing I would loving others as Christ loves to scare a person in your life that God would want me to make the choice to live, even though you don't feel like loving person. Is there any way that you need shoe leather to your words. Love other people. Are you living in fellowship with God's spirit can freely pour out God's love through your life so you can love others in the way that he wants you to first Corinthians 13 the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, it's fruit of the Holy Spirit. The Greek word for patient in this passage means taking a long time to boil.
So we need to ask ourselves, are we patient with others when they irritate us or do we quickly express our anger with them doing quickly express our displeasure on. Do we have a short piece things stuck on our way and when a circumstance is out of control in my patient with the Lord, do I wait for him to act. Do I think before I speak and choose words that would build up another instant do I patiently endure the faults and weaknesses of others. 20. Recognizing God's sovereignty in my life and how patient has been with me in my weaknesses in my patient will God's love acts currently. Ephesians 432 says, be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ has forgiven you. Love acts cleanly because God showed his group increased is treated in Amory 917 says thou art a God of forgiveness, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger. He shows his claims would you like graciously reaching out to others. There's a possibility frame offer might be rejected which others do. I have an eye for the needs of others. Take the initiative to help kindness and rash in front of another car to get the best parking space.
Kindness clears another exploit the table kindness most the neighbor's lawn. Kindness looks the checkout person in the online banking appreciates their service type doing treat others in a kind and gracious way in a way that they would want the way that I would want to be treated okay love is not jealously Proverbs 1430 says a hard case gives life to the body, but in the once the bone definition for envious feelings of discontent and ill will because of another's advantages and possessions. It's resentful dislike of another who has something I desire Chelsea invades the destructive thing is destructive interline because we were in this matter since showing that we were self-centered that were not trusting in God were telling him he's not good to us, he would have given us back to were not thankful for what God has given us in the us were telling God's given us a raw deal were living things of this world and not things of God but one of the other Henry choices God blesses another person's confinement choice at her marriage. Can I rejoice when she has a baby, can I rejoice with her successful ministry God is doing currently. Can I rejoice at the new home. She got into New Hampshire. The career she has how God has given her some words seem love is not envious that rejoices the blessings and successes of other people love this not boastful or proud. Philippians 25 to 8 says your attitude should be the same Christ Jesus. Though he was God. He did not demand and cling to his rights as God made himself nothing, took the humble position of the slave and appeared in human form and in human form, he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal's death on the cross we see love is not focused on making sure that everyone notices how much I how spiritual and how important I and all the sacrifices made seem love is focused on itself doesn't crank itself looks to build others. Others love takes willingly takes a backseat in the service so someone else can have different seat next to Kate and says how can I love others. If my eyes are only on me. How can I point to God. I am pointing to me, and worse still, how can someone see God if I and Fanny might tell others say love does not boastful when land is not accurately Matthew 516 let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and praise your father in heaven to be rude means to tear apart it means to act discourteous latent act manually. God says we should in such a way that people will see increased that they should be drawn to hear your actions, our actions should be courteous should be polite, patient, copper our actions should humiliate others.
Action should treat others with dignity, with respect what do we treat the Jehovah's Witness at her door with respect or do we really think it would doing just trying can we do retreat with respect made and constantly to he wants when you make an appointment with someone try to show up on time.
Do you constantly interrupt when others are speaking.
Do you respect others property. Do you return what you borrowed from your neighbor, your friend, do you treat all people with dignity and respect. Gracious and respectful in your own home with your own family young children lab does not accurately lot does not demand its own way. Philippians 2, three and four. Don't be selfish. Don't live to make a good impression on others. Be humble. Thinking of others as better than yourself. Don't think only about your own affairs, but interested in others to what they are doing this a lot doesn't always look out for number one, it's always considering what's best for someone else.
Is this passage says we do need to look at.
We do need to take care of our own affairs process. Don't only look For yourself if you can see means giving for the sake of someone that's what's best for them. So I do I take time for the kind involved in something to think about others needs are like two busy, focused on myself making sure that everything works out in a way is just desperately. Love is not easily angered. James 119. Let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.
Anger.
Anger is a God given emotion that we experience when something doesn't go the way we wanted to for someone response – in a way that's hurtful the way it makes a still rejected into the angry is not a sin. Sin, but how we respond to anger can become a sin. On the other hand, has a long fuse has a long fuse.
It's not irritable. It's not touchy, especially over little important things. It's not touchy. Love takes the emotion anger which is a good thing. In some instances, that it takes it and instead of flying off the handle with the situation as we do. Sometimes friends to God to find help and it runs to God to deal with the situation (over and over and over again and never stops for camping someone hurt you someone disappointed you.
Have you forgiven, do you get easily irritated over little things don't go your way. Take it out on your family do you defend being irritable because was just the way I am.
When I got just the way to second person a lot of money. Love is not irritable.
Love keeps no record of when it has been wrong. Isaiah 4324. Nine the one who wipes out your transgressions for my tongue and I will not remember your sins lot doesn't keep a notebook tallying up the score of people who disappointed you doesn't keep a notebook it doesn't keep a record of mistakes sins committed in the past doesn't keep bringing up other people's failures. God doesn't keep a big scoreboard in when you and all the things you have done to because he says we confess our sins forgiven us totally and then he says he remembers them no more is not because he can't remember them because he chooses not to doesn't want to. And so we need to give people a chance to change into Corrado to overcome to become victorious love keeps no record of wrongs. Is there any person in your life that you keep reminding them how I blew it. Just keep bringing keep reminding and you won't given the grace to change when you doomed to keep bringing up the past mistakes and she love keeps no record of wrongs.
Lot is never glad about injustice that rejoices whenever the truth wins out someone routine, 128. Therefore, I esteem write all my presets concerning everything I hate every false way we see love never takes pleasure when somebody else fall flat. Love never somebody to do something this room lab never causes a brother sister to stumble. Love always wants others to follow waste to follow God's truth in their life so are we living in such a way life builds up others in concentrated and influence them to do what's right that how were living in my mind modeling Christlike behavior to my children and my walking the talk Mother Teresa says where it is love beginning begins at home. Let us learn to love in our family and our family. We may have very poor people and we do not understand. We have no time to smile. No time to talk to each other. Let us bring tenderness into our home and you will see the difference seemingly to start kissing this person on and then spread out to every person that we meet.
Love never gives up.
We urge you, brother, and admonish the unruly, increased fainthearted, help the week. Be patient with all men love never gives people. God never gets components and he knew that he never will love keeps on praying keeps on encouraging keeps sharing the truth keeps on doing what ever is necessary to help others come to know the Lord to help others want to be like Christ. Love enables a person to grow, disable person in love doesn't do for someone what they can do this line of when we enable a person to continue the lifestyle is harmful doing things for them that they need to learn to do this house. Love doesn't disable love enables love encourages the fainthearted to be strong to walk in love doesn't condone unruly behavior, but it brings about discipline in a person's life to Christ likeness they produced gets one lab never loses faith in others.
Do not judge, lest you be judged yourself for in the way.
Jackie will be charged by your standard of measure shall be measured to you and why you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your same mom thinks the best others. It gives them the benefit of the doubt. It doesn't judge other people's motives. It doesn't speak in a judgmental way that other people with it and really quick to judge others think about things that they're doing wrong. Make a judgment. Then when I don't even have not judge others. Love says, I believe in you content. Love never loses faith and love is always helpful. Second Corinthians 110 three said, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. We seen law instills hope into other people's rights hope for the future hope in whatever circumstance and referring themselves that God will be there will be a comfort there deliver have you experience difficulty in your life in some area and God's help she will love will take comfort that you have received from God and instill hope in someone else's is going to the same meaning as a young mom who is struggling with caring for new baby, you could encouraging for help.
Or maybe there's a teenage daughter needs to hear about the struggles for moment through. She was her age she can see her mommy. I continued to seen law instills hope into people's lives. We all need to see and the last thing here in first Corinthians 13 seven love endures circumstance, Hebrews 1036 for you need endurance so that when you have done the will of God may receive what was promised. Love endures and holds only made one difficult circumstances basis because of her faith in God's purposes for elected hope to learn endures through every circumstances remain steadfast remain steadfast.
Is there someone in your life. You are just at the end of your rope with a just about he can't take it anymore them with their problems. Content expectations. He says, persevere and endure because nothing is impossible. So do you have a love hope are all growing in that way. I was sitting at the breakfast table with my daughter. And she was your breakfast and getting ready for school.
She was telling me she checked the strong feeling that she had a dream she could remember what it was. She said mom never had a dream and it just seem like was right there which could remember what was and so we talked about that. She went in her bedroom, close the door and she was before she went to school. She opened up her Bible and she was reading out of Philippians.
She read Philippians 418 and she came again. She was so excited she says she said mom I remember the dream I remember the dream when I read the Bible and she said she said I read Philippians 418. This is what she read the gifts you sent me are a sweet smelling sacrifice that is acceptable to God and pleases him. She said when I went back I remembered the dream and she said in the dream I was in a room and she was in this room with me and she said all of a sudden I was in room there were always people there that I didn't know they were in someone in the room said since and said in her dream, she realized she knew Jesus 20 smells like sweet of the love she said it was all for me and it penetrated the and she was so just wound God and spoken to her in that way. You see, that's what got us as we spend time with Google says he plans us with other people and it becomes a sweet, smooth, feisty others bills people excuse the difference change listening to the second part of the bear hugs from above series holds before future burger note will be back in just a few minutes to talk about what you sure today. The ideas Teresa was tackling in the series are fundamental to understanding God's loving nature. So believe there are a lot of people who don't know what that feels like regular struggling with self-worth for feeling spiritually lost them.
God is cold and distant.
Our desire with these messages is to help you understand the God deeply cares and loves each and every one of us. If you're still wrestling with that idea that's okay.
Let me encourage you to get plugged in with the series and find the hope you're missing check out the resources, for he holds me forever@livingontheedge.org or by calling triple late.
333-6003 Apple's noticeably top special offers. Well here's chip with an offer. You don't want to miss. I'll be right back in just a minute with some application to today's teaching, but I just want to pause for a moment, remind some of you, especially men, but not just men that Mother's Day is around the corner and this is a really powerful opportunity to encourage the mother or the mothers in your life that you maybe your daughters a mother by now. What gives the case with me and you know you can give flowers you can give candy and by the way, you know, don't let me hold you back on that but I think this is an opportunity to invest in our moms and our daughters and ways of that's really where I will tell you the number one struggle most women have is the have a low self-image.
They struggle with being accepted the struggle with rejection. The struggle with all kind of issues and I saw my wife go through a journey where she felt very lonely over self and honestly guys I couldn't figure it out and out of some great counseling that we got.
She begin to do some affirmations and she wrote some cards down about her appearance about her competence and security that works truth from God's word very short didn't try to memorize him and she would read them out loud and then she identified a handful of miss beliefs that really had paralyzed her and the issues in her life were really around these lives and honestly don't tell anybody. I realize I had the same lies and then on the flip side of these cards.
These affirmation cards are truths. And as we read those over together.
Yes, that's true, you heard me. I actually read them over with her.
It was so transformational. My mind was renewed.
But here's what really got me my wife's life. She begin to believe what was true about her that she was confident that she belong that she was secure that she did need people's approval.
So let me encourage you go to the website. The called affirmation cards. This is an awesome gift for Mother's Day. Very inexpensive, very high impact. I just can't encourage you enough to put these cards in the hands of the women that you love. Thanks for that, you know someone who needs the kind of encouragement chip was just describing something the gift of Teresa's affirmation cards might be just the thing they made will find all the details of LivingontheEdge.org or by calling triple late.
333-6003 and if you're wanting these cards for Mother's Day. Time is running out, but express shipping is still available. Visit also LivingontheEdge.org or call triple late. 333-6003 that's triple late. 333-6003, Apple's nurse top special offers. Now with some final thoughts. Here's chip and Teresa as we wrap up today's program.
I love the story you told Teresa about your neighborhood that drove you nuts. What would you say to that person who stuck in their anger or resentment.
And especially if it's may be toward their mate work or a family member. What would you say to them about dealing with the that anger and that struggle when you're stuck in anger and resentment is a terrible place to be and I've been there at different times in my life. The first response I have and I think most people would have is I want revenge I wanted to get back in some way tit for tat sorted the neighbor right now, think about neighbors.
Jesus just irritating me to know and God says vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. The hard thing is is we can know that's true but we don't want a way but he also says, be kind to one another, tenderhearted and forgiving one another, just as God in Christ has forgiven us so caring and forgiveness and a grudge in our heart is a sin, it separates us from from God might friend you let me to Christ we share with me often on, when I was having a struggle and I was was angry or something and I didn't feel close to God and he would always ask me will who moved and and I thought well I guess I did not didn't move. He still here. He still loves Nate that I moved away from him because I'm holding this anger and this grudge in my heart.
We don't want to stay there with God doesn't want us to stay in that place and so it it becomes a heart attitude. Sometimes that person is not going to change and and it's it's a heart attitude that we need to allow God to develop and send its divine.
It's it's only from God.
We as humans can't love that way, we can't forgive that way that Christ gave his life to die for us and give us the forgiveness of all of our sins and we are to do likewise to love others as Christ loved us and so we need to resist the devil and pray against him and realize where the battle is and another thing that I thought about is just to be grateful.
I love my home. I love where I live. I believe it was given to us by the Lord. Could I allow this one neighbor to run my life. I don't think so. I think God wants me to continue to love the place he's given us and to to be grateful. So I begin to focus on all the things I'm grateful for and that is help me a lot and also praying for for my neighbor, praying that he doesn't know the Lord. Why would I expect him to act any other way to pray for him and expect God to to speak to his life. And then God will give you peace is as we as we do those things. I believe that he will give us peace in our heart. I would say watching you honey been very vulnerable about what's going on inside is you just been so gracious with you, and you have just come in everything from taking cookies to helping out whatever you know sometimes we were waiting for some big wave of grace that God's going to do something in its it's when you take the step of obedience to love when you don't feel like it. That's when God fills us with grace and was reminded that Jesus did not feel like going to the cross. But he didn't love is not how you feel love is doing what you know God want you to do just watched how you done that really proud of you. That's been a great example to me if Living on the Edge is ministering to you and you'd like to be part of ministering to others across America and around the world today would be a great day to join the team to give a gift online just go to LivingontheEdge.org or if you prefer. Just give us a call at triple late.
333-6003, on behalf of chip and the staff you're Living on the Edge. Thank you for your prayers and your financial support. Teresa continues her series. He holds me forever.
In our next program, so be sure to join us again this is really saying thanks for listing this addition of living will be a