Annoyance: the feeling or state of being annoyed; irritation (Oxford Dictionary). A person or thing is a nuisance.
Have you ever looked at people as an annoyance rather than those for whom Christ died? It is so easy to do. If that has never applied to you, I would like to meet you, for you are truly a unique person! I wish I could say that I had never felt that way, but the truth is; I have and recently, in fact. I was standing inside Wally world waiting on Beverly at the self-checkout.
This haggard-looking older woman was sitting in a wheelchair with a sling on one arm and the other turning the right wheel. That was a recipe for going in circles. She reminded me of a battle ax on wheels by her demeanor! To keep from turning in circles, she used her left foot to keep her in the direction she wanted to travel. She handled that wheelchair with a high degree of efficiency and independence. I bet her husband didn’t push her around much…. He was looking at a display some twenty feet away yelling at her if she needed this product on display near the entrance of the store.
As she rolled by me, a wave of cigarette smell was competing with her body odor and nearly cold-cocked me into next week. Her hair looked as if she hadn’t washed it in two weeks or more. She was 10 feet away from me! It smacked into my senses like an automobile. Then she stopped, muttered to herself, and managed to turn around and yell back to her husband, and she passed me again. Another wave overwhelmed me; my senses were reeling. I took it like a man and stayed still. Now, I am not trying to be mean here, but this was my experience. You would not believe the smell. She may have been dead already and didn't know it. The way she handled that wheelchair convinced me that she was not confined to it.
She turned back around and passed by me for the third time; three times and you're out, right? I thought I was losing my equilibrium. Then her husband walked by me, pursuing his wife while she continued to steer with her left foot and pushing down on that right wheel. This woman had some coordination abilities.
Not surprisingly, her husband, (I'm assuming), was exuding an identical body odor being masked by the strong scent of cigarette smoke. The odors were locked in a battle for supremacy the way I smelled it. Have you ever noticed chain smokers in a vehicle with the windows up and the A/C on? It is like putting meat in a smoker. Another wave of the same potency hit me between the eyes! This man had no idea that he was kicking me when I was down for the count already, figuratively speaking. Finally, I had enough and managed to crawl out of the range of the scent.
I was slightly irritated before encountering this lovely couple with Beverly taking so long for getting two items. The plan was to get and go. Well, that certainly didn’t happen! Then I was hit again, but not by some malodorous delight picking a fight with my senses. The Holy Spirit was reminding me of something. It is easy to receive those who are beautiful and graced with humility; loving those who present themselves as ugly, self-centered, and indifferent to others is another matter and not so easy. However, Jesus died for the ugly and the beautiful without Christ.
I was judging this unkempt couple too harshly in my mind. I had allowed my annoyance to shade my perspective. I found myself annoyed by the fact that these people came into a public place, abandoning personal hygiene and social etiquette. These people occupied a lot of space with smell and noise as they moved about. Beverly wasn’t answering my text that I was meeting her at the self-checkout. Then she comes strolling up with her cell phone in her ear and lugging several items.
Remaining
quiet on the matter, I didn’t ask her why she was not returning my text. I
realized that it was God who was delaying her so that I could encounter these
two pitiful souls. A thought came to mind, “What would they look and smell
like, talk like, act like if Jesus was in their hearts?” Why Jesus would make a
world of difference in them as He does to all who receive Him into their
heart.
I
didn’t feel impressed to go and witness to these people; maybe, I should have; I
don’t know. It seemed like God was simply bringing to mind at this moment that
He loves all of the peoples of the earth to such an extent that He died for all
which includes you and me. Sin is as ugly as it gets; uglier than any
appearance. Appearance can’t kill anyone spiritually, but sin sure can through
the sin of unbelief (Jn 3:36; Rom 5:12; 6:23).
Now, you might be thinking, “Okay, Michael, let's say the same thing happened to you the next week. What would you do differently?” I would love on them with an oxygen mask, of course, silly! Seriously though, I would be more engaging if I felt led by the Holy Spirit to do so. By setting aside any annoyances with agape, we would be more sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit than running for air. God will give us the grace to deal with any “annoyances.”
One of the intrinsic values of agape (love) is good old elbow grease. Yep, that’s another word for effort, perspiration, or sweat, suggesting it is not always easy; it can be difficult and challenging and nigh impossible at times. It requires supernatural assistance to spiritually love the lovely or the unlovely (Jn 15:5). Some of the most vicious opposition to the Gospel comes from the lovely in appearance and manner. As the old saying goes, “You can't judge a book by its cover,” but obviously, the unloving can be rough on us, too!
If you love Me, keep… (Jn 14:15). We are to love God; love others 24/7/365. Living apart from agape equates to horizontal or temporal living which amounts to a big fat zero in eternity (1 Cor 13:1-3). Applied agape turns annoyances into opportunities with positive eternal consequences. I blew my opportunity that day in Wally world, focusing on the annoyances of others rather than putting agape to work.
Here is what I know. Applied agape can radically change the way we perceive and receive the world. It changes us and helps us in changing others through the Holy Spirit for the glory of God.
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