Stress Solution for the Soul:

“You have heard that is was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate

your enemy. But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for

those who persecute you that you may be sons/daughters of your

Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the

good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you

love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even

the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers,

what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do

that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

– Matthew 5:43-48

Wow this is a BOLD invitation. One of the biggest challenges

and invitations for growth out there in this earth school.  I

am thinking not too many people willingly sign up for this

class in life but find themselves thrusted into boot camp 101:

How to Love Like Jesus, in spite of themselves.

This is a painful practice in life, one that requires an

ABUNDANCE of GRACE to override our seething ego’s attempt

to harm our perceived predator: A Sunday

Night Wild Kingdom Playback, with the same poison we

perceive they throw our way whether that take the form of

words or actions…or sometimes both.

Much of our daily anxieties flow directly from our need to

be liked, right, respected and understood.  When we fail to receive

the same respect we feel we give out in the world (and this is

all from OUR perception) we can quickly abandon our

spiritual commission to love our enemies and pray for those

who persecute us.

So what’s the solution? Release the desire to be liked, right,

respected and understood. Jesus never said it would be easy…

he did however say it IS POSSIBLE and the result of living

a life that is fueled by love, forgiveness and kindness no matter

how people respond to us results in a peace that passes all

human understanding and life to our body (“A heart at peace,

gives life to the body.”  Proverbs 14:30)

You will often receive resistance even within

your close circle of influence as was the case with Job:

How can you be so nice? They

don’t deserve your respect. You need to toughen up and respect

yourself more or this will happen again.  As was the case with

Jesus Christ of Nazareth, one radical act of love in the face of

opposition has the power

to transform lives instantaneously.

Dear God,

Grant me the GRACE to release my inner longing to be liked,

right, respected and understood.  Help me today to show up

in love and kindness not because other people are loving and

kind to me but because this is my God given natural state of

being.  Resurrect my ability to love for the sake of love alone

knowing that all deliberate acts of respect, love and kindness on

my part in the face of unkindness and disrespect go viral in

the heavenly realms.

I know I need grace to respond this way

because I have a huge ego that has an insatiable hunger to be

liked, respected, understood and right yet I know my greatest

peace, calm and sense of purpose flows from my choice to

override my unhealthy impulses…once again I give YOU

permission to have YOUR WAY within me in spite of myself.

*If you enjoy the weekly Stress Solution for the Soul you will love Lauren’s recent CD release entitled:Stress Solutions for the Soulclick on CDs/DVDs

located in the right hand column of this site.

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