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We, The People

Some days I wish I could move my family to a home in the middle of nowhere. I would love to live on acres and acres of land with no one around me but the people I love, and, let's be real, the people I can stand to live in the middle of nowhere with.

People are hard.

I am realizing that I was not meant for a lot of people. I am not their type and they aren't mine. I understand that I am not supposed to agree with everything everyone says or does. My personality was not created to mesh with every other personality on planet earth.

But, here's the deal...

I get caught up in the conundrum of the church. What am I supposed to do with the people there? What if some of them aren't my jam? What if they don't like me? What do I do with this? Doesn't the Bible tell me that I must love others? I mean, that is the second of the most important commandments Jesus spoke. Love God. Love others. (Luke 10:27).

But, how do I love someone I don't like very much? Is it even okay to dislike someone in church?

Here's what I know. Jesus didn't like everyone he came in contact with. Did he love them? You bet. Like them? Not so much.

Let's take the Pharisees. These guys were the religious elite of the day; the spiritual advisers and teachers. If you had a question about God, you went to these guys. If you wanted to know Scripture, you went to these guys. They were the end-all be-all of all things spiritual. They also had a tendency to rub Jesus the wrong way. They were in a specific lane and Jesus pulled over. They weren't his jam. He didn't resonate with the way they taught. His teachings and his ways made these guys irate to the point of death. Jesus did not resonate with the Pharisees. He didn't need to befriend them to love them. He didn't need to take on their teaching to express grace. He didn't need to be their BFF just because they were a part of the church. He knew his place. He knew he did not thrive in their space walking alongside them in their teachings and he was firm about it. This didn't make him any less loving. This did not make him any less kind. This made him that much more authoritative in his teachings. He stood firm in his lane not merging with the guys he disagreed with just to be chummy chummy with fellow God-followers.

The brilliant thing about the church is that none of us are the same. We are all vastly different and so unique. This is why every church looks, sounds, and is different. Different people, different personalities have different needs. We weren't all made for each other and that is okay. I know that there are certain personality types that I clash with and that clash with me. Knowing this truth about myself gives me the freedom to respect those people and their place in the church while not feeling responsible to be in relationship with someone that is going to bring out negatives in me rather than positives. They weren't meant for me nor I them and that is okay.

We take the "love others" commandment from Jesus and apply it incorrectly and in an unhealthy manner. Jesus loved everyone. Every single individual was loved by Jesus when he walked this earth; even those who betrayed him and sentenced him to death. With that being said, just because Jesus loved everyone, does not mean that he walked in relationship with everyone. He knew his lane and his stuck to it. He surrounded himself with people that propelled him and his ministry into light. He walked away from those that weren't the right fit for him (i.e. the Pharisees). Just because Jesus was not in relationship with everyone does not mean he did not love. Same is true for you and I.

We weren't meant for everyone. We don't have to agree with everyone in the church. When you realize a certain personality type was not meant to mesh with yours, you free yourself up to a relationship that is healthy. By walking away from relationships with personality types that don't harmonize with you makes space for those people who do. You open your life to healthy relationship when you realize it's okay to say no to those that were never meant to live in that space with you.

We are called to love everyone. We are called to serve and respect all members of the church and beyond. We, however, were not called into relationship with everyone. Some people aren't your people and that's okay. I hope you live in a little more freedom today.

Love & Blessings,
Meg

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