Toleration

At our church we have a small church plant that meets on Wednesday nights downtown in our city.  Last week the topic of tolerance came up.  One of the people at the group shared that the reason they had come to Christ was that when they were younger the people didn't just tolerate having her around, but love on her.

This simple statement has had me reflect a lot about some of the people in my life that I have just tolerated, instead of loved.  It was really a humbling thing to go back and realize just how much I'd done.  I was also reminded of the many times that my presence was merely tolerated by other people, and how that made me feel.

Part of what makes following Christ so radical is that we are asked to love everyone. 

John 13:35
"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

This scripture does not read "all men will know that you are my disciples because you tolerate people the best".  It calls us to radically be different through the act of loving people.  I struggle with this constantly, with those people that I don't get along with, the people that I disagree with, that slow cashier that is keeping me from getting where I want to be.

Who are you simply tolerating?

Have you been tolerated before?  How did you feel?

Who is God calling you to love this week?