Jesus saw the best in people and worked to bring it out. But He wasn’t naïve; He understood human frailty. When people disappointed Him, He didn’t retaliate in anger, or distance from them. What did He do? ‘Many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person’ (vv. 23-25 NIV). Jesus constantly called people to a higher standard, but He understood that their best would still be imperfect. And you need to understand that about your loved ones too, and handle them accordingly. The perfect relationship, the perfect job, the perfect church and the perfect neighbourhood don’t exist! God knows that, so He gave us instructions on how to deal with people who disappoint us: ‘Bear (endure, carry) one another’s burdens and troublesome moral faults, and in this way fulfil and observe perfectly the law of Christ’ (Galatians 6:2 AMPC). You say, ‘What is the law of Christ?’ Jesus said, ‘I give you a new commandment…Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another’ (John 13:34 AMPC). To love as Jesus loved, you must love without condition and without pressure. It’s easier to talk about how to treat the irritating people in your life than it is to do it. But the Lord never commands you to do something that He won’t give you the grace to carry out. And the great thing is, in the process of carrying it out you become more like Him.
