March 12 - Luke 7: No Win Situation

Recently, I've had similar epiphanies about a couple of relationships:  no matter what I do, I can't "win."  Not that relationships are about winning, it's just a figure of speech.  But I've realized that in these particular situations, no matter what approach I take, it won't be received well.  I won't be able to figure out the perfect question to ask or the most meaningful way to serve or the right invitation to give that will cause this relationship to go deeper or be healthier.  This may be obvious, but I think that in some long-term relationships, I've somehow held on to the false hope that one day I would figure it out and the sky would break open and a Hallmark moment would occur.  After decades now, God is revealing that I'm at the end of myself, I've run out of ideas and there is no way for me to get it "right" in these relationships.

Jesus was saying something similar in Luke 7,

'How can I account for the people of this generation?  They're like spoiled children complaining to their parents, 'We wanted to skip rope and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk but you were always too busy.'  John the Baptizer came fasting and you called him crazy.  The Son of Man came feasting and you called him a lush.  Opinion polls don't count for much, do they?  The proof of the pudding is in the eating.'   (v. 31-35)

No matter what John or Jesus did, they were considered wrong by many religious leaders of the time.  Jesus was clearly not living under the influence of opinion polls.  He wasn't concerned about his popularity or favorability rating.  He was living in His God-identity, which He taught in Luke 6: love your enemies,  love the unlovable, grab the initiative and love others the way you want to be loved, let your life be life-giving by working God's word into your life.  I think these are the "proof of the pudding" that He was referring to.

Back to my so-called epiphanies.  My expectations of these relationships certainly need to change and be brought in line with the life of Christ.  My approach also must be redirected from trying to win, appease or please and from striving for that elusive Hallmark moment.  It's a little mysterious to me about what it means to love in these relationships where love does not seem to be received.  The clear part is that I must live in my God-identity and seek to love.