"What I'm learning about love is that we have to tackle a good amount of fear to love people who are difficult." - Bob Goff
Jesus didn't put up walls or defenses for people who were difficult or challenging. He engaged with them. Each day, I continually try to remind myself that loving others requires intentionality and empathy. While I do my best to love my neighbor (anyone I encounter), I have to remember we don't typically share the same experiences, and so I have to be gracious to them and seek to understand them...knowing that it may not be reciprocated in the same way, and I have to be able to receive that in a loving manner too.
Action: What does loving your neighbor look like? How can we be gracious to others when they're not gracious to us?
Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
1 Peter 3:8-9