Easy Does It part 1
I've never understood why people find it so important to make other people agree with them. I've always thought it was ok to agree to disagree. Like with all of my favorite things--they are MY favorite things. They don't have to be yours. You don't even have to like them. And we can still get along. But for the most part I really do try to go along to get along. I draw my line as far away as possible. So if you still find a way to cross that line... I figure that's on you. You cross the line, you get what you get. But here's what I want to really talk about in this Rant series: "Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don't see things the way you do. And don't jump all over them every time they do or say something you don't agree with--even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently" (Romans 14:1 MSG). What I really want to talk about in this Rant series is the old saying, "You don't know what people are going through... so be kind." Everybody has their own history. Their own baggage. And while in some ways it might be similar to yours, its still unique. History is HIS story. Or HER story. And we see things through the lense of our history. Our experiences shape us. If you've been lied to, its hard to trust people. It just is. Especially if the person who lied to you was important to you. You let someone in, and you get burned, and your natural reaction is to try as hard as you can to avoid the fire. Because you don't want to get burned again. I remember something my dad always said about big mistakes--well, he'll probably only do that once. And that was one of my dad's big things: Make a mistake, but only make it once. Learn from it. Because when you know better you can do better. And I truly believe that a lot of the time you have to do things wrong before you CAN do them right. So if we're jumping on people every time they stumble... if we're kicking people while they're down... we're not giving them that opportunity to learn from their mistakes. We're not giving them grace to grow. Look at 2 Peter 3:18, "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." Growing in grace. The grace to grow. Growing in the knowledge of who we are in Christ. Which is who Christ is in us. And giving others that same grace. Letting people run their own race. Its all one race, but maybe we're on different laps. Maybe we're in different lanes. Taking different paths to the finish line. That's ok. That's good. Because, like I was trying to say earlier, not everybody wants what I want. Not everybody likes what I like. Not everybody thinks what I think. And that doesn't necessarily make me right and them wrong. Variety is the spice of life, right? God doesn't want robots. He wants unique individuals. That's the way He made us. So take it easy on people. Easy does it. Let people be who they are and do what they do. Don't jump on people. Don't try to force your understanding of Jesus down people's throats. They'll choke on it. Gag on it. Run FROM Him instead of TO Him. What I'm really trying to say, in a nutshell, is just love people. Right where they are. No matter where that is.