Sometime the Most Difficult People Offer the Biggest Rewards — Here’s How to Reveal the Treasure
Have you ever met someone who just didn’t care about other people? If you have, you probably didn’t spend much time with them. They didn’t want you to. They probably even did something to push you away as fast possible. In fact, they may have been so rude you probably walked away thinking fairly negative thoughts about the person.
But what most people don’t realize is that some of these people do change. And you can have a major impact on their lives.
There are many reasons people like this are so cold, rude, and uncaring. Some may have experienced something so terrible at the hand of another person that they’ve written off all people. Others may have lived through some terrible times and are too stunned to deal with others. And others may just be so full of themselves that they have no room left in their heart for others.
Whether it’s one of these or some other cause, people who are so hard-hearted toward others remind me of the pathway in the parable of the sower. They’re so hard that the seed can’t penetrate and the birds eat the seed before it can even dig into far enough to sprout.
Just as the birds carry the seed away from the path, it’s easy to take your love and caring away from people who are so cold. They aren’t receptive to it. They don’t make you feel good. And they don’t in any way encourage you to love them. They may even be openly hostile to you.
In a way, these people are dead to relationships. But as long as they are physically alive, it’s possible they could come alive spiritually. And sometimes, it just takes someone who is willing to love them regardless of how they respond.
Jesus showed us how we should respond to these people when He confronted the demon-possessed man in Gadara (Matthew 8). This man was so socially dead that he was living among the tombs. And yet Jesus pursued him. He helped him. He listened to him. And He removed his burden. In other places, Jesus prayed and fasted for people like this.
The parable of the sower shows us that people who are dead to relationships may remain cold and hard. But Christians have an opportunity to show the love of Christ without any strings attached. It’s not easy. Sometimes it can be extremely difficult and emotionally draining. While the risks are there, the rewards could be huge. Keep after them.
Steve Kroening writes for Success magazine and also publishes Wisdom’s Edge. You can get Biblical tips on health, finance, relationships, parenting, and success, delivered to your email inbox every week. Simply visit http://www.wisdomsedge.com and sign up for this free e-zine.