Endurance and Patience part 2
Before God made cows, He made grass. Because He always provides what is needed before it is needed. The Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world. Before there was ever a sinner, there was a Savior. So when God provides us with endurance and patience... its safe to say that we are going to need endurance and patience. And the reason we need those two things (not above all, but pretty high on the list) is because people can be exasperating. I know I'm a little bit odd in this way, but I like to be quiet. So when people talk to me... a lot of times that wears me out. So in order to interact with people... yeah. I need endurance and patience. Because I can't exactly tell people, "Stop talking to me or my head is going to explode!" I need to be able to say, "Yep, I hear ya." Things of that nature. I need to be able to function in society, regardless of my own character traits (quirks?). And while that describes ME pretty well, we all have "things." We all have unique ways of doing things. Some things bother us a lot. Some things don't bother us at all. But what bothers you might not bother me. So if I do that thing--because it doesn't bother me--and it does bother you... endurance and patience. We need to be able to let each other BE each other. I've found that the thing that I get most disappointed about is when I put expectations on things. Or, worse yet, people. Because, like I was trying to say yesterday, people rarely do what THEY want to do. Much less what WE want them to do. So if I'm basing how I feel on what you do--expecting you to act one way or another--I'm setting myself up for a fall. I can't express how important--and, really, how freeing--it is to just let people be who they are. But, again, it can also be exasperating. It can be challenging. Because people WILL let you down. A pastor friend of mine is known for saying, "If you've never been hurt by someone in your church... give it time." We bump into each other. Step on each other's toes. Crash into each other. And a lot of time its not personal. I think people are much more self-centered than we give them credit for. And that might sound strange, but let me explain. I think people are FOR themselves a lot more often than they are AGAINST us. Sometimes it comes off as an attack, when its really a preemptive defense. When you've been burned, you'll do just about anything to avoid the fire. So its important that we, what's the old saying? Walk a mile in the other person's shoes. Look at things from THEIR point of view. I think one of the biggest signs of maturity is when someone hurts us, and we look for the reason WHY they hurt us (spoiler alert: Because they are hurting), and then we try to help them. We don't have to settle for an eye for an eye anymore. We can turn the other cheek. We can be patient. Let things play out instead of reacting (overreacting?) and blowing things up (or out of proportion). We have been strengthed by love in order to be able to endure what's happening. To be patient in the face of undesirable circumstances. To break the cycle and not just give back what someone gives us, but give them what WE'VE got. Show them a more excellent way. Love them no matter what. Let what's inside US come out, by filling OURSELVES to overflowing with what we've already been filled with!