Rally Cap part 2
When your team is down in the bottom of the ninth, you flip your cap around and cheer like crazy. Does it actually help? I mean, it surely doesn't hurt. And the point is that you're doing something. Giving everything you've got to try to fuel a comeback. And who doesn't like a good comeback story? Well, the church world, apparently. Religious folk. Because while the party line is forgiveness it seems to come with the idea of, "I forgive, but I'll never forget." And that's not really forgiveness at all. And, listen, you know I preach all the time about not putting (or keeping) yourself in a bad position. I get where the phrase, "Fool me once, shame on you... fool me twice, shame on ME" is coming from. I've been burned before. By someone I knew was going to burn me. Second and third and fourth chances. It gets to be a bit much, right? But when this very sort of question was posed to Jesus is went like this, "Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven" (Matthew 18:21-22). In other words, don't give up on people. Now, again, should you keep subjecting yourself to the person who keeps doing you dirty? I would advise against that. But people make mistakes. Should you be one and done? I wouldn't advise that either. Because sometimes--not every time--when you give someone another chance they step up. Sometimes when someone is down and you help them up, they are genuinely grateful. And its just what they needed to get back on track. Let me say it another way: Love is longsuffering. Love never fails because love endures. And, like I always say, once you've given something (or someone) everything you've got--which is what love is; giving everything you have and everything you are--its either enough... or its not. And either way, you've done your part. So give people a chance. They might surprise you. Root FOR people, instead of against them. It seems to me like religious folk are AGAINST any and every thing. Like they WANT people to fail so they can say, "See? I knew it. I told you so." And that's why "Christians" seem to have such a bad name. That's why people label "Christians" as judgmental, hypocritical, mean people. Where's the grace to grow? You can't learn from your mistakes unless you make mistakes. And a lot of people are too afraid of failing to do, well, anything really. Or, the other extreme, strict parents produce sneaky kids. Because people are going to do what they're going to do. You can't really stop people from doing what they want, or force people to do what you want. But what you can do is love them no matter what. Help them up when they fall instead of kicking them when they're down. A preacher friend of mine always says, "A setback is just a setup for a comeback." So let's root for that comeback story. Let's HELP with that comeback. Let's stop being against everything in sight and start being for some things. First and foremost, let's start being for each other. We're all in this together. All on the same team. A rising tide raises all ships. Let's rise together!