How To Grow Alongside The People In Your Lives

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When people speak about having relationships, the word LOVE hardly comes across their hearts or mind in the same conversation, yet a relationship without love is an empty relationship just as love without relationship is equally empty.

Is it possible to have one and not the other? I believe the answer is no! But most people do not act, perceive or express their relationships nor view it in loving terms. It’s almost always on the level of just getting along with people for getting along sake. Love does not come into it. So the power of love is restrained.

Do you love thy neighbour as thyself? Most people do not. They smile across the fence or wave at their neighbour in passing but not really bothering to include love thoughts in their minds or hearts, nor do they care to. It is an empty gesture. So everybody gets along on the same street, as long as they keep to their side of the street/fence and I of course, keep to mine. As long as their dog does not bother my cat. If those lousy children of theirs do not throw their ball, toys or boomerang into my yard, we’ll get along just fine.

That is the problem with the world. Everybody has set strict parameters, barriers and fences in their heart which is reflected in their attitude towards their neighbours and family. Is that a good way to love thy neighbour? No it isn’t!

At work you simply form a habit and pattern of getting along with those folks, as long as they are not in your face, you say. You smile, nod, wave whilst cursing or resenting them in your heart. We are all masters at looking nice whilst harbouring bad, unfriendly and oftentimes unkind thoughts about people. When no one is looking or listening, some people curse their neighbours, scratch their cars and even slash their tires in cases where domestic disputes have gone beyond crazy. Many people fail to bring love into their relationships whereas it should be our determined goal to love.

To love?

Yes, to love thy neighbour as thyself. Seeing as many people get on your nerves, do you not think that your nerves (nature) may require some fine-tuning. If you are always giving people your piece of mind, no wonder have no peace at all. If you get upset about everything people do, you will find yourself always angry about people’s attitude. Perhaps this summer is a beautiful time to look in the mirror and change all that.

No one can provoke or elicit from you what you do not have inside of you already. No one can make me hate unless I have stored up hatred in my heart and have it in abundant supply. I cannot be jealous of anything or anyone unless I have stored up a huge quantity of it in my own heart already. That is how it works. People cannot make you laugh, smile or feel good unless you have joy, laughter and inner excitement already stored in you. You can only get out of a bottle whatever was put inside it. Not a drop more and not a drop less. So the question is what have you been storing up in your life that governs your relationships with people? Do you need to begin taking stock of what is in your barn? What kind of life harvest have you stored up? Are you full of love? Do you have enough in your private store-house? Do you have enough inner joy saved away in your heart? Do you have enough loving

feelings, memories and emotions stored away inside of you? Do you have enough to give a handsome amount of love

back to others.

Others?

Yes, thy neighbour, classmates, workmates, love mates, casual friends, intimate friends, church friends and common enemies. Yes, you have labelled so many others as your enemies because they are fat, short, immigrants, Jewish, black, blind, wheelchair-bound, disfigured, Asian, Muslim, protestant or Hindu. You have limited love and patience for too many people my dear and that must change. You must learn to love thy enemy as much as you love your friends. You need to grow. You need to say the prayer of Jabez.

The prayer of Jabez?

Yes, ask the Lord to lift your head above the rest of your brothers (make you more loving than all the others) expand your territory (that is open up your

heart/storehouse), free you from pain (take away your hatred, hurt, anger,

discrimination, etc), so that you be free (to love and let love) and become a blessing to others you come across. The result will be a transformed you. An enlightened you. A new you who can love, have a peaceful relationship in life, marriage, friendship and allow you to become love driven in every situation and with all the people you meet. Can I pray with you here for a moment?

In fact, let me invite you to say these prayers right here and now;

“Lord, drain out of me all the negative anger, hurt, hatred, harshness, bitterness, jealousy and sad emotions that stops me from loving people or from receiving love from them. Open my eyes so that I may see you in others around me. Fill me to overflowing with joy, goodness, and laughter and empower me with your grace & forgiveness, so that I can become a blessing in every relationship in which I am apart. So help me God!”

If you have just said these prayers, I believe you have just been born again! Now, go and become a blessing to everyone you meet. Have a lovely summer season!