Do Not Give Up On Yourself Or Others
“Be tolerant of those who are lost on their path. Ignorance, conceit, anger, jealousy and greed stem from a lost soul. Pray that they will find guidance.” ~ Unknown
There’s something that is a sad trait of our human condition. We tend to give up. We give up on ourselves. We give up on others. For some reason, we are loathe to gives others, and ourselves, a chance and the time that is necessary to see growth. If there is nothing happening immediately, we tend to move on.
The only problem with that kind of thinking is that it leads to a defeatist attitude. If we are constantly giving up on others or ourselves, we will quickly begin to think that no one deserves the chance to improve and/or to succeed. We have pretty much lost the ability to be tolerant with others and with ourselves.
Instead of giving up or dismissing others, we need to find ways to help others improve. Everyone should have the opportunity to be helped in their lives. That most certainly includes ourselves as well. The simple truth is that whatever standard we apply to others will almost invariably be applied to us.
If we are willing to give others a break, we will receive one as well. If we are willing to coach others, someone will step up to coach us. If we go the extra mile to make sure someone succeeds, well, you get the picture. “Do unto others…”
I’m sure that you are well aware that this is not as easy as it sounds. When we are in the presence of people who cannot seem to do what we ask, we get frustrated at them. When we drop the ball, we get frustrated at ourselves. We do not tolerate ignorance or accidents easily. As a matter of fact, we barely tolerate them at all.
Imagine what it would be like if God would not tolerate the many things that we do wrong. It would be all over for us. If He were an intolerant God, He would remake the world on a regular basis. It almost would be like God would have an Etch-A-Sketch in His hands and we were that Etch-A-Sketch. He would shake us over and over again every time the lines didn’t turn out right.
God is a tolerant God. He is a patient God. He is a God who wants to give us every chance in the world to improve. That was why He sent His Son. Jesus was patient and tolerant with His disciples and He knew that we would need help. That was why He promised to send the Spirit. Accept God’s help and rely on His most merciful love.
FAITH ACTION: Don’t give up on yourself or others. Be tolerant of mistakes and do your best to learn and to help others achieve.