Basking in reflection once again, I find myself thinking of relationships. Is it not difficult for you? To constantly find joy in those around you is something that comes with strife and exhaustion. Not to say that people are always letting you down, but that possibly you have been let down in the past. Due to your regretful lack of the ability to not be affected by your past experiences, life has become a constant struggle to treat people with the kindness that you expect from them. Do you know what it is like to not find enthusiasm in the life you once rejoiced to live? Fear not, there is an answer to these problems. You. You are the answer.
Consistently we fail to remember it’s not about us. There will be days when life does not feel fair. It’s the good in life that makes all of it worth the perseverance. Every good and perfect gift comes from the Lord, right? We’ve all heard it and we all know it. How often do we truly believe it? I firmly believe, and I hope you do also, that God does not want us focusing on our self-depracation, depression and strife. We need to stop being frustrated for not receiving the things we think we deserve. It’s time to worship Him for the things that we don’t deserve, which is everything.
I know what you’re thinking, and you’re right. We are selfish beings and it is impossible for us not to think about ourselves. This being the case, what God wants from us is something different. Recently I decided to get together with a friend and we decided to devise a plan that would have us reading scripture on a regular basis. With all of this on my mind for quite some time now, I find it more than appropriate that the first passage we were lead to was Romans 12:9-13, which reads:

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil and hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, and serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation and be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”

This is a Christian’s true calling. We must overlook our past experiences. We must never cease in our attempts to overcome the tendency to be blind to the positive things in our lives. We must never stop trying to follow Christ’s example, which is summarized so well in that passage. Rejoice in community, because it is God's desire. Rejoice in the Lord, because you are His desire as well.