People Are Hard

All my life prior to this point, I had lived with the belief that a relationship with God was hard.  It would be the most difficult relationship I would ever have.  It would require more effort and more fixing than any other relationship.  I would be forever struggling, just to make it work. 

In the past week, I have experienced scenario after scenario of tension, disagreement and strife in my earthly relationships.  People getting angry.  People differing in opinions.  People being offended.  People taking up offenses for the ones they love.  People being selfish.   People foolishly running their mouths.  People getting their feelings hurt.  People hurting people’s feelings.  People pushing other people away.  Somehow – whether directly or indirectly – I kept finding myself right in the middle of these situations. 

Toward the end of the evening yesterday, I pulled away from people for a little while to spend some time alone with God.  I was asking Him for wisdom in one such situation involving people.  And as I sat there, alone with my Heavenly Father, I was met with the realization that people are hard.  Relationships, with people, are hard.

And it occurred to me, my relationship with God is not the most difficult relationship I will ever experience; on the contrary, it is the easiest relationship I will ever know.

I am self-centered, self-righteous, easily offended, argumentative, arrogant, quick to speak, quick to judge, quick to grow angry, slow to forgive, and never have enough time for others.

My God is ever forgiving, ever loving, ever comforting, ever available, ever understanding, ever merciful, ever gracious, ever faithful, ever giving, ever perfect, yet ever willing and wanting to have a relationship with me, despite my many, many flaws.

I blame God when things go wrong, though He is incapable of being anything but just.  I am quick to doubt Him, though His ways are never wrong.  I have broken His heart out of selfishness or blatant disregard more times than I can count, yet He only breaks my heart to make it better than it was before.  I run from Him more often than I run to Him, still He is ever in pursuit of me.

Does a relationship with God require maintenance? Yes, the same as any other.  There has to be time and energy poured into it for it to flourish.  But He’s already all in; I’m the only wavering factor, and He is willing to overlook this.  Oh!  What friendship can compare?

I sat there for a few moments, just me and God, relishing this thought – dreading the notion of having to rejoin the people I had just left.  For a moment, I wondered, is it worth it?  Is it really worth it to invest in people, and to allow people to invest in me, knowing full well that there will inevitably come a point in every human relationship at which either they will fail me, or I will fail them?  Is it worth it? 

The answer is yes, and I knew that.  Jesus clearly thought it was worthwhile.  And as Christians, human relationship is the whole point – the purpose of our existence on this earth.  If our relationship with God was the end-all, He would whisk us away at the moment of salvation – Oh, how glorious that would be! But no, we are still here, and with great purpose.  (Matthew 28:18-20; Philippians 1:21-26; Galatians 6:2; Hebrews 10:19-25; etc.)

Relationships with people are hard.  Any time two imperfect people come together, an imperfect relationship is bound to occur.  There will inevitably be lots of breaking on both sides; and there will need to be lots of fixing, lots of swallowing pride, lots of apologizing, and even more forgiving.  Some relationships will last; others will fall apart over time.  Relationships are a two-way street, and even if you do everything in your power to make it work, you still run the risk that the other person won’t do their part.  It is unfortunate, but in an imperfect world with imperfect people, you can expect nothing more.

Still, I am comforted in knowing that I have one sure relationship – the simplest relationship I will ever know – one that I can never ruin, and one that will never be ruined for me.  Why God ever wanted a relationship with imperfect people, I will never understand, but I thank Him for it.