“When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves.” (Matthew 5:44 MSG)
Jesus is, of course, speaking to us about our enemies, about those who tend to bring out the worst in us. He’s asking us instead to allow people of persecution to push us into prayer. He’s proposing that the worst might bring forth the best; the person of Christ we’re called to become.
Consider His response to the crowd that demanded His life: grace and truth. He did not defend Himself. He did not condemn. He prayed and forgave and spoke patient truth until He could speak no more. He did all this in real time, not days and weeks later when He came around to the right conclusion. What an example for those of us in His footsteps!
People can bring out the worst in us but so can situations. It turns out we can leverage hard times for personal sanctification, as well. We can respond to someone or something with the energies of prayer. We can reframe hard people and hard times as opportunities for inner refinement rather than a hall pass for bad behavior. Whether it’s a personality or a circumstance, today’s trial produces tomorrow’s character. Prayer is the variable that determines our outcome.
“God will help you deal with whatever hard thing comes up when the time comes.” (Matthew 6:34 MSG)
“Now I take limitations in stride and with good cheer, these limitations cut me down to size – abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks, I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.”
(2 Corinthians 12:10 MSG)
Lord, let us see hard people and hard times as moments ripe for Kingdom growth. Help us to choose to honor You in the midst of each and every discomfort. Thank You for Your example on the cross. May we carry ours with significant amounts of grace and truth, too. Amen.