“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again (Luke 6vs.38)”.
You must learn to invest in people. Don’t give up on people because of one wrong thing they did to you. In life, you may really meet five wrong people before you actually meet the right one. It is a test from heaven which helps to build your character. The truth is that there are good people-great, loving and with positive energy. If you surround yourself with them, in no time, you become great. So many people have a great measure of goodwill within them- no streak of meanness or wickedness. If you give to such people, you get closer to your blessing. You must give in life. Never negotiate this. So, avoid shutting your bowels of mercy because of pain or anger irrespective of the offence of the person or group of people.
The golden rule principle is to ‘do unto others as you would want them to do unto you’. This brings about limitless levels of divine manifestations in your life. Jesus was very specific when He spoke about this principle in the Scriptures. Our good conduct or graceful disposition should not only be directed towards fellow Christians. It should be to everyone- family, neighbour, boss, colleague, foe or friend. If we practice this black and white, we will have the most amazing experience(s). There is no limit to who you should ‘agape-ly’ love as a Christian. If this becomes your lifestyle, soon, humanity will respond to you in ways beyond your expectation. The way you treat people irrespective of who they are in your space determines the next tilt of your life. This is an eternal law that doesn’t fail.
“But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek, offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? For sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? For sinners also do even the same (Luke 6 vs. 26-33)”.
The Scripture does not allow us to love or do good only to those who are so disposed to us. You must love those who hate you and despitefully use you-people that oppose you, contradict you, treat you with contempt, humiliatingly or wrongly. Christ says the way you treat people-no matter their disposition to you- is the same way others will do unto you. Note that when you are treated wrongly by people, it’s an opportunity to plant the right seed (a good deed) on a fertile ground. It is solely your call! You must decide what kind of relationship(s) you want in your life and by your actions trigger them into being. To this end, your actions should not be negative but constantly positive.
If you are nice to only those that are nice to you, it means you are restricting yourself to a particular set of relationships. It also shows that you are not open to people by remaining in your comfort zone perhaps because past relationships have hurt you and left you with scars you never forgot. However, it is in coming out of that barricaded zone where you only associate with people that love you and loving even when it hurts that you access the next phase of your life. In practice, when you come out of your comfort zone, it sometimes looks like you are surrounded by the wrong people who just want to hurt you. Never forget-that is just the gateway to the next amazing phase of your life. So, don’t flee from it! You will be treated wrongly, but if you will remember that it is only a part and parcel of your journey to the best of life, you will hang in there.
A lot of people are afraid of this place and so remain within one ‘secured’ circle. As a result, they do not grow or get into new network of friends or people God has ordained to take them to the next level. All that is expected of you at this discomforting level is to love people who hurt you, have goodwill towards them, bless and pray for them speaking well and powerfully into their lives. They despitefully use you but you can turn those hurting moments to advantageous ones. Just act in exact opposites to them and bless them from deep down your heart. Today, you have a choice to go on your knees before God, praying for people who have done you wrong betraying your trust and faith in them and in no time, you will see how miraculously God will turn your life around.
“Poju Oyemade”