I once had a supervisor I did not get along with. I tried to transfer out of his department but never could. I wound up working for him quite a bit longer than I intended. In the end I came to respect him. It was then I got a new supervisor.

In teaching a class here at Ambassador Bible College I was covering the story in the Book of Acts where Philip went down to Samaria and baptized many believers from that region (Acts 8:5). When word got back to Jerusalem of these developments they sent two men, Peter and John, to help advance the new opening to a group of people, Samaritans, who had long been outcast to the Jews (Verse 14).

Once, years earlier, during Christ's earthly ministry, a Samaritan city had refused to provide hospitality to Christ and His disciples (Luke 9:51-56). In response to this slight James and John wanted to call down fire from heaven on the village. Christ calmed them down and they moved on to another, more hospitable village. Now John was being sent back to the same area where God was working to bring many to salvation.

I imagine that John could have mused about how he once reacted so severely to a group of rude Samaritans. Now he was going back in a different role as a ministering servant – less hostile to the people. John now had a much different attitude. He had changed and was now able to be used by God to serve.

I think God will keep us involved with people we may have conflicts with until we learn certain lessons. We may have to work under and be with people with whom we have prejudices or conflicts and we may have to do this until we change our attitude or perspective. Just as John needed to soften his heart toward Samaritans, God wants us to soften our hearts toward others.

And we might just have to stay long enough to learn that lesson.