how easy it is for us to pint fingers. to demonize each other. to see the speck in our brother’s eye while we have a log in our own. how easy it is for us to play the victim card when we are on the receiving end; how easy to fault everyone else but ourselves. someone said that when you point at someone, three fingers point right back at you. you are three times guiltier. i know. there are situations where someone is just wrong and we are not merely faulting them but trying to correct them. we all know the latter is very rare, the former more predominant but we would rather not admit it; not even to our own selves.
it is easier to pass judgement than to receive it. easier to see how that person is blatantly wrong but when we are in the same situation, ‘it depends on the circumstances’. when we are in the same situation, we seek to be understood; we seek for mercy. it is more blessed to give than to receive…this does not only apply to money but everything else in life. in the same measure you give, it will be given back to you. understanding, forgiveness, mercy, you name it. but we never look at it from that side of the coin, do we?
we all are capable of evil, given the right circumstances. we all can do the many things we cringe at when others do, given the right conditions but we often act so holier than thou,like we are perfect;like we are angels who never go wrong. truth is, if we were that perfect, we wouldn’t be on this earth and Jesus wouldn’t have had to come die on the cross. but that’s the thing. we are imperfect. we sin every other day. we say one thing and do the other and we are selfish that is why the commandment of love looks too harsh. because we put ourselves first. my needs first, then the rest. observe yourself and how you make decisions and see if you do not think ‘what’s in it for me?’ first before you commit. if there is nothing for you but something for your neighbor, it is almost impossible for you to go ahead with the plan. someone once said that he who conquers himself has won the greatest of all battles. i do not know how true that is, but if you can conquer yourself, i think life will become more beautiful. when the world no longer revolves around you, you get to enjoy more of life’s pleasures.
right there is where the problem is at. confronting oneself. most of the time we are our own obstacles to our own dreams and goals and achievements. the words we speak to ourselves;the fears we let take control; the situations we allow to master us. we set limits for ourselves. we are the ones who tell ourselves ‘i can or i can’t’ it is us. another wise man said that no one can hurt you without your permission and we think them just words but we are the ones who give dominance to people in our lives. whatever rights anyone has over us is as a result of our giving them. it’s like buying shares. there has to be a company willing to sell…when all is said and done, we are to blame for the kind of lives we live.Mastin, a blogger i follow, once said that when something happens to you, then you are a victim, but afterwards, what do with what happened is your choice. you can either, pick yourself up and move on or you can choose to be a victim and wallow in the puddle of mud. it is a choice and i can assure you, playing the victim card gets old real quick and soon enough, people will be avoiding you, because you are a bundle of negative energy. and no one loves negativity.
i did something today that made me feel like the imperfect person i am. i was dropped from my high horse and hit the ground real hard. the three fingers telling me i am thrice as guilty as the person i am pointing a finger at. in other words, we are in the same boat. none is better than the other. that’s what happens when you go the ‘an eye for an eye’ way. you take yourself to that person’s level. that’s why the Bible says,paraphrasing, if someone slaps you on one cheek, turn the other also to him. the same Bible advices to repay eveil with good and in so doing it will be like heaping burning coal on someone’s head. it does not sound logical or reasonable. for someone to step on your foot and for you to smile instead of frown; being the bigger person always looks unfair but in the long run, it pays more. i allowed my selfishness to block my view and i fell to the standards i was sneering upon. i became like one of those i was pointing at, with condemnation and God convicted me and this post was birthed from it.
i feel so bad and i am seeking forgiveness, just after this post. and the realization has dawned on me so heavily that i am back tracing my steps. i am standing and looking back and retracing my steps. i am finding myself wanting to do things differently. i am desiring to act more out of love than any other emotion or feeling. i am choosing to be the bigger person. to remember that vengeance belongs to the Lord and not to me. that the battle is not mine but His. is it easy? no but it is the better option. it saves me a lot of emotional turmoil and pain and heart ache. it ultimately is the easy way out. i am sorry Lord, for pointing fingers and going right ahead to do that which i was condemning. i am sorry for having thought of myself highly than i truly am. i am sorry that i was proud and as you say, i got humbled. i apologize, Lord.
have a lovely evening and think about it…
Miss Adoyo 