Spiritual
3615 Vickers Dr,
Colorado Springs
CO
godiswithus.org/

"The black church in America is being challenged to define and, in some cases, re-define itself in these challenging times,” Pastor Thompson says. “It’s no longer good enough to just come in here once a week and go through the motions.” The church, once the center of African American life, must now earn its place by being relevant and productive. “Emmanuel’s ministry focuses on three key areas of healthy and productive Christian life: Spiritual Development, Temple Restoration and Community Involvement. The three are interlinked, each one empowering the next.”

Why is loving people so hard to do?
What makes it hard to love people is that often times the love is not reciprocated. The love is not given back, and difficult people react in a way that is unlovable. It hurts to give love and not receive it back, and it is easy to lash out when there is hurt.

One of the most primary things I do to begin that process of loving difficult people is to take the focus off myself. As hard as that may seem, and as difficult as that can be; I have to begin to look past myself and to the things that God says, and the things I hope to see in their lives one day. I have to look past my discouragement. The chances are that I will not see immediate results; growth takes more time than we would like to admit. We can’t expect immediate results.

Remembering my own life story, also helps me hold on to others. At some point, we all have been in a place in the past where we didn’t receive love and do what was best. It’s going to take some honesty with ourselves.

I remember that I have also been in the position of this person that’s hard to love, it then allows me to walk in grace. Grace says that “this could have been me” or “this was me.” But God has kept me and brought me to the place that I am today.

Everyone has been in a place of not wanting love when it was given to us. Every one of us has received loved that we have not earned. Those kinds of humbling thoughts help me to love and reach out to difficult people.

Romans 5:8 says “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” Jesus loved us when we did not deserve it, he gave his life for us, Jesus didn’t wait for us to qualify for his love, he loved difficult people. He showed us how to love, and I’m just learning to walk in his steps day by day.