Daily Devotion #2

Crabs in a Bucket Mentality

Yes I was feeling a little inspired today lol. I just had a lot to write about.

Have you ever been talked about? Lied on? Judged prematurely? Picked on? Quite simply hated on because you're smart or you look good or just any random reason? Or in my case, have you tried repeatedly to speak to people and they look you up and down and don't speak? There is a young lady at work that always just stares at me and ignores my smiles, hellos, and other attempts to be friendly. Then you find out later that you were the topic of their conversation.

These behaviors bother me in particular because not only does it happen among unfamiliar company but it happens in our families too! In my own family people talk about someone whether are doing well or not and try to bring them down. My solution has been to just keep to myself and my immediate family and avoid any others altogether. This may not be right but hey...I'm working on it!

The real solution here is to love them anyway. Although when you are doing well or trying to do better they try to discourage you and dishearten you, love them anyway. Matthew 5:44 says "But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you." CEV-Sidebar: I really like this translation and NLT because they seem to be plain English.

Yes this is hard! I'm probably sometimes the queen of grudges. I had a conversation about this attitude I have about just kicking folks out of my life and how I shouldn't be that way. I then went on to have a conversation with myself and decided I would at least make an effort to work on it. I don't know about you, but loving people from a distance works well for me! Luke 6:27 says "But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,"NASB. The truth is that when we operate in God's love He works on us so that our change can ignite one in those around us. So because of this I will keep smiling at the woman at work that just doesn't seem to like me for whatever reason and I'll be cordial and love those other people that I don't like because it is a commandment to us all by God! Don't let them pull you back into living outside of God's will. If you battle with this know that I agree with you that we will do better!

Luke 6:35--But love your enemies and be good to them. Lend without expecting to be paid back. Then you will get a great reward, and you will be the true children of God in heaven. He is good even to people who are unthankful and cruel.

Marquita