“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35, ESV
In this verse, Jesus is talking to His closest companions—those who will eventually challenge, betray, deny, and doubt Him. But despite all of this, Jesus’ actions epitomized what it means to love your neighbor, even those who are hard to love. As His followers, how much more should we strive to love those who are hard to love? After all, they are probably the ones who need it most…
Contrary to my dear, sweet coworker who I described in yesterday’s devotional, at another time in my education experience, I had a not-so-sweet coworker. This teacher and I had about the same amount of teaching experience when she was hired as my co-teacher; we actually shared the same students, classroom, and teaching space. At first, I was very happy. I had been teaching alone, and I was excited to get someone to partner with and share the workload. Very soon, however, I could sense that she was not as excited. She viewed this arrangement as a competition and felt that I already had a leg-up on her because I was in the classroom first.
I tried to graciously show her love. I asked for her ideas, shared info about the students, and welcomed her into the desk area we both occupied. Unfortunately, she did not receive my offerings of friendship and peace. On the contrary, she began to leave our workspace in a way that I knew was silently taking jabs at me. She would turn over my pictures, change the computer background to remove my Bible verses, mock me when I would try to have conversations about my faith, move things around so I couldn’t find them, and try to convince the students that they preferred working with her over me. It was exasperating.
Even though I felt hurt and attacked just about every day, I began to pray fervently for her. I listened to her when she would talk, and I would gently try to show her love in the areas that seemed important to her…her family, her art, her pets, as well as her hurts, her fears, and her challenges in life. Even though her behavior toward me did not change, my heart changed. God grew me in that time. He showed me how to love her the way He had loved me and to have compassion for her. By the end of the school year, I was just accustomed to coming in each day and remaking my space as needed to function and being ready to show the love of Jesus in whatever situation I faced. I made it to the end of the school year by the grace of God.
Then, before the beginning of the following school year, my principal told me my co-teacher had taken a job in another district. I didn’t see her or talk to her for many years.
But one day, in God’s perfect timing, I ran into her at a professional development conference. I recoiled at first, remembering the sting of her actions many years before. But then, the gentleness of the Spirit nudged me. She approached me with a sweet smile on her face, reached out to hug me, and softly said, “I want to tell you how sorry I am for all of the things I did to you. I was so mean to you. I know that, and you never once retaliated. I hated you, and I couldn’t figure out how in the world you could be the kind of person you were. I kept thinking and thinking about the things you would say and the way you treated me so lovingly, and I couldn’t stand to even think about working in that environment again. Then, I began to share with my next-door neighbor the reason I was leaving my job and taking another one. She didn’t even know you, but she was a Christian too. She told me as she listened to my berating and complaints that what I hated was not you, but the Jesus in you. God began chipping away at me, and I want you to know I gave my life to Christ, and I am changed. I am so thankful for you showing me Jesus all those years ago. Even when I was mean to you, you loved me, and I will forever be grateful.”
Praise the Lord. He is good, and His stories are far better than we could ever write.
Dear Lord, Thank you for loving us and pursuing us despite our sin and many flaws. Thank you for being patient with us and showing us grace time after time after time. Help us to show that same love, grace, and patience to others, even when they (just as us) do not deserve it, ask for it, or even accept it. Thank you for walking with us in the hard times and the good times of the ministry we have been called to. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Copyright Jenni Lou Jackson.
Jenni Lou is a Christian Educators Movement member, former middle school language arts teacher, and children’s ministry director in Kentucky.
4 Responses
I love how you continued showing this coworker the love of Jesus by not responding with anger when she so clearly was trying to goad you into that anger. How sweet that God gave you this moment of reconciliation with her as she told you that she’s accepted Him as her Savior! God used you to show her Himself! Such an amazing testimony of how He uses us even in hard circumstances!
Yes, this is such a beautiful testimony! We are called to love others, the rest is up to God! What a blessing to be used by Him!
Thank you for this reminder of how important it is to share the love of Jesus even when it isn’t easy.
What an amazing story demonstrating that our call is to be faithful and his responsibility is the fruit. And isn’t it so awesome when we get to actually see the fruit but that is not always part of the deal. Thank you so much for sharing this amazing devotional!