Accept One Another - Romans 15:5-7

Today's post came straight off of Facebook, posted by one of my friends! Usually I'd do a little more work, digging for the right scripture for today, but what's the use when it's already staring you in the face?
"Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God."
-Romans 15:5-7
My personal interpretation of this might be different from someone else's, but I believe that one example could go back to the very beginning of this blog. Christians, as a whole, do not accept people who are not Christian as well. They say they do, but they don't. God teaches us to accept others the way that they are. Yes, it is okay to let people know where you stand and that you love the Lord. No, it is not okay to look down on someone because they didn't choose the same path, or because they don't want to listen to you preach the good news. We need to keep that in mind. God did say that one of our most important duties here on Earth was to preach his Word to others, but he did not mean that we should hound people about it. Think of it this way. Let's pretend the issue isn't someone's faith. Let's pretend I'm trying to convince you to buy something from me. You've already made it clear that you don't want it. If I keep shoving it in your face, you're just going to get mad, right? That doesn't get us anywhere. If someone is anti-God or apathetic, that doesn't mean you should avoid them or try not to be friends with them either. Maybe I can make friends with you and then eventually ease you into talking about what I'm trying to sell - but don't go trying to befriend somebody JUST to sell them something - including the Bible and God. We're trying to sell them a ticket into heaven, basically. They have to make the decision to take it; you can't force anything on anyone.
I can use an example from last night. My fiance smokes. I don't care for it, and it annoys me when he does it without telling me what he's going to do. I got angry about it. He tried to say I'd said I didn't care anymore, and I responded that if I said I didn't care, I didn't mean it. It was only spoken out of frustration because I wanted him to shut up. If I love him, shouldn't I accept his flaws? Yes. That doesn't mean they should be overlooked. They're still flaws...but the only person who can change you, is you. And God, of course. So...we have to learn to accept one another as God accepted us. If he's going to be my husband, I should love him the way he is. When he makes mistakes, I need to forgive them as God would. When he makes me angry, I need to take a deep breath and count to ten, and respond positively instead of blowing up. If you're planning to form that close of a bond with someone, you need to be able to communicate without so much anger. Love doesn't fix everything...but it sure as hell moves mountains. I'm letting go of my frustrations and taking them to God, so I can be a better person - the kind he's happy to come home to. As for the days when he's just being difficult without provocation - I should do my best to ignore them, because "this too shall pass."