WHO IRRITATES YOU THE MOST?

I’m reading a treasure written by Vonette Bright (a godly saint I greatly admire).

She says, “You can be sure that you are abiding in Christ if you are able to have a Christlike love toward the people who irritate you most.”

THAT is putting a finger on a sore spot of mine and pressing! Far too many times, I have a Christlike love toward everyone EXCEPT for that handful of people who irritate me the most. I suspect the same thing can be said of you.

Vonette goes on to remind me of a phrase I had forgotten about. That phrase is “heavenly sandpaper.”

She tells the story of a pastor who asked his congregation, “Is there someone at your workplace who irritates you? Have you asked God to relieve you of the burden of this person, and He didn’t reply?”

Let me just stop right there and insert that as I grow older, my memory becomes weaker and weaker. But the one thing I never have a problem remembering are the people who irritate me. I bet it’s pretty easy for you to remember the people who irritate you, as well.

Back to what I’m reading from Vonette. She goes on to relate that this pastor said, “God is allowing that person to be in your life as holy sandpaper to smooth off your rough edges. He won’t remove the irritation until you have learned the lesson that He wants to teach you.”

Do you remember the sentence I started this with? “You can be sure that you’re abiding in Christ if you’re able to have a Christlike love for the people who irritate you most.” When that happens, you will realize you are now able to live at peace with that irritable person. There is no longer a reason for God to remove them from you. Instead, God has now appointed YOU to be the one person who is willing and available to pour out His unconditional love on this person who is in desperate need of His grace. Because of this irritating person’s behavior, you aren’t able to do this in your own strength, but because you are abiding in Christ, He is able to do it through you.

God is using His ”heavenly sandpaper” to polish you and make you into His image. The person you are asking Him to remove turns out to be the tool He’s using to make you