God used a raven, a bird considered ‘unclean’ in Jewish culture, to feed the prophet Elijah during a famine. Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem with funds provided by a heathen king. The point is: don’t limit God. Sometimes the people we’d normally avoid are the ones He uses to provide what we need, and by shutting them out we miss out on a blessing He has in mind for us. So our tendency to be ‘picky’ could be limiting us. The truth is, we can’t avoid working with difficult people. God wants us to learn to grow in the midst of negativity without getting sucked into it. David developed the ability to work with people who were hard to get along with. At first he enjoyed King Saul’s favour, but after he killed Goliath, Saul wanted to kill him. But David stayed in Saul’s house because he knew God wanted him to be there. And because of the wisdom he showed, he ended up owning the place. David didn’t limit himself, and he didn’t limit God by refusing to work with someone he didn’t really like much. He understood that God makes all kinds of different people. And He uses them all. Who knows – that difficult person you meet today could be the person who assists and blesses you tomorrow.
What Now?
Look for someone in your church or youth group who you find it difficult to get along with. Ask if there’s anything they need prayer for. Make time to listen and pray with them.
