Happy Monday, wonderfuls! I hope you've had a fantastic weekend and that you are coming back to the work week refreshed and rejuvenated. I just came off of a week-long vacation that was awesome and far too short. Thankfully though, I've got an adorable 1.5 year old to nanny, so going back to work is worth it!
Before I went on vacation though, I had a lot on my mind. I was worried about a few situations, I was super sleep-deprived, and I was just feeling run-down and draggy. Social media didn't help between all the Trump vs. Hilary, black vs. cop, and a few terrorist attacks. How in the world are we supposed to function well when everything around us shouts, "Run away! The world has turned to crap!"?
In all of this though, I am learning a valuable (and difficult) lesson: we don't have to agree to love each other.
Love em' right
I was talking to one of my very best friends recently and we realized that we disagree on a very big current issue. And really, we only disagree with one part of the issue- the rest we are still in agreement. But it still worried me. What if she decides she doesn't like my view and therefore doesn't like me? What if I say something that makes her mad? What if she says something that makes me mad?Thankfully, this friend is not like that. We have an amazing relationship and she is one of the best friends I have ever had. Neither of us is going anywhere. We love each other even when we disagree. And it's because we know that life and friendship is about so much more than agreeing on every single issue.
We know the heart of the other person and we love each other deeply. We don't have to agree to unify in the bigger picture. And we don't have to worry about the other person leaving. This is love done right.
Why Should We and How Can We?
We can still love others who disagree with us because we know that we are not perfect. We may disagree with a loved one, but two things are true: 1.) We could be wrong, 2.) even if we aren't wrong, we have been in the past and will be in the future.If we get mad at everyone who disagrees with us, we are assuming both that we are perfect and that they are automatically wrong. Sometimes, we indisputably know that we are right. But many times, our opinions are dumb. Sometimes we have royally idiotic ideas about things. So why should we get angry when people disagree with us? If we are right, we should give grace to the one who is wrong, knowing that we've been there too. If we are wrong, we should be humble and move forward, knowing that everyone has been where we are at some point.
So if we disagree with someone, we need to stop fighting, storming off, or criticizing the one with whom we disagree. All that we need to do is state our case respectfully and un-apologetically, but also with humility and kindness. Then we can simply move on and love them fiercely.
Do you need to improve in this area? Have you found yourself at war instead of loving everyone regardless of who they are or what they think? Comment below.
Like what you've read? Why not sign up for The Peculiar Treasure's email list to have new posts delivered straight to your inbox!