Generosity means more than giving money. Sometimes the Lord wants you to give something more precious: your kindness. And not just to your own kind.

Working or volunteering in any type of organization introduces you to some people who rub you the wrong way. They think differently than you do. They vote differently. They are too negative, or too nosy, or too bossy, or too difficult in any of dozens of ways.

And then there’s your family. Yes, your in-laws count. Even the cousins.

However these people behave, you do have one thing in common: Jesus loves all of you. And here’s some tough news: Jesus wants you to be loving toward them.

Now, if a person is violent toward your body or abusive to your soul, Jesus asks you to pray for them and keep your distance. But if the person is merely the most annoying human being you’ve ever met, you need to do more.

Pray About It

Take some time in quiet reflection and prayer. Confess to the Lord your struggles and failures in living out His will with this person. It’s always helpful to ask the Lord if you are so focused on the specks in this person’s eye that you are missing the logs in your own.

Are your thoughts about the person making things worse? Are you the mean person in this relationship? Do you need to ask for forgiveness? If the person is also a Christian, reflect on the big picture of Christian love in this post.

Ask the Holy Spirit to help you exhibit the behavior that Jesus seeks. Can you be just a little more friendly? Can you look for ways to be a peacemaker?

Improved behavior for me often starts with praying for the person and for my own behavior. Then I can watch to see if I:

• Assume the worst about the person’s intentions.
• Have an elitist attitude toward the person.
• Expect to be annoyed.
• Gossip or complain to others about the person.
• Wish bad things would happen to the person. Or even good things, if it would get the person out of my life.

When you know you are going to see the person, pray about it. Lift the meeting or the moment up to God and ask Him to bless it.

Once you are together, listen to your automatic thoughts. And deliberately practice friendliness. This does not excuse the person’s bad behavior. It is just being kind.

Think about one thing that you can do for this person that is kind and friendly. And do it. Jesus will smile at you in that moment.