"How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these." George Washington Carver
Everyone has a different interpretation of what it means to "adult" in your twenties. For me, it hasn't meant bills and car payments just yet. Nor has it meant apartment shopping and first-time-furniture buying. Instead, It has meant things like learning self-care, learning to nurture a very edifying relationship with God, self-control, mentality adjustment, and opportunities to push self aside for the sake of others.
I've been thinking a lot lately about impatience and expectations. I think our society endorses the belief that relationships (not simply the romantic kind...) are a 50/50 ordeal. Someone takes something, another gives something. Then vice versa. If we as Christians are told to be like Christ...then doesn't that force us to fall under different criteria?
We didn't do anything to deserve the ultimate sacrifice for our sins in Christ, yet here we are. We have the ability to pray to a God who used to only listen to the prayers of those who were the holiest of holy's... and we are sinners who don't live even remotely close to how they lived.
It seems more like Christ showed us that love is more of a 100/0 ordeal.
That's something I hope to be strong enough to give. I think a lot of times we get stuck in expecting social reciprocity out of our desire to feel connected to each other. When we don't feel understood or understand others, we feel isolated.
The one thing I am going to attempt to master is extending myself in the ways I know how simply to ensure that as far as I can help it, someone doesn't feel judged or isolated because of me. I understand that I may not vibe well with everyone and that's fine with me. I may not be everyone's cup of tea and vice versa but I surely don't have to treat them less than the way I'd like to be treated, regardless of if it's reciprocated.
I love George Washington Carver's quote so much. To me, it addresses every stubborn stage we go through in life and says "Now be the person you needed in those times" which isn't the easiest thing to do. I think that's the point though. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger. If we went through it, aren't we more than equipped to take the shots we dealt when we were in those phases?
The bible says we are more than conquerors through Christ. I believe we are all capable of loving one another without reciprocation, but I also think that similar to the way it is with any other thing in life; We have to choose to love without expecting reciprocation. That means bearing with one another. Though it may be difficult, stressful, and emotionally draining at times, bearing with one another produces firmness in ourselves and steadfastness with the Lord. We can't give from a well that is empty and only God can fill us up when the world around us just keeps taking.
I think we are more than capable of abiding by Him and spreading love the way He wishes for us to. It all starts with God's love. His love teaches us how to love, then, we translate His love to others with our actions. That's the kind of love we need more of in this world.
I've been thinking a lot lately about impatience and expectations. I think our society endorses the belief that relationships (not simply the romantic kind...) are a 50/50 ordeal. Someone takes something, another gives something. Then vice versa. If we as Christians are told to be like Christ...then doesn't that force us to fall under different criteria?
We didn't do anything to deserve the ultimate sacrifice for our sins in Christ, yet here we are. We have the ability to pray to a God who used to only listen to the prayers of those who were the holiest of holy's... and we are sinners who don't live even remotely close to how they lived.
It seems more like Christ showed us that love is more of a 100/0 ordeal.
That's something I hope to be strong enough to give. I think a lot of times we get stuck in expecting social reciprocity out of our desire to feel connected to each other. When we don't feel understood or understand others, we feel isolated.
The one thing I am going to attempt to master is extending myself in the ways I know how simply to ensure that as far as I can help it, someone doesn't feel judged or isolated because of me. I understand that I may not vibe well with everyone and that's fine with me. I may not be everyone's cup of tea and vice versa but I surely don't have to treat them less than the way I'd like to be treated, regardless of if it's reciprocated.
I love George Washington Carver's quote so much. To me, it addresses every stubborn stage we go through in life and says "Now be the person you needed in those times" which isn't the easiest thing to do. I think that's the point though. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger. If we went through it, aren't we more than equipped to take the shots we dealt when we were in those phases?
The bible says we are more than conquerors through Christ. I believe we are all capable of loving one another without reciprocation, but I also think that similar to the way it is with any other thing in life; We have to choose to love without expecting reciprocation. That means bearing with one another. Though it may be difficult, stressful, and emotionally draining at times, bearing with one another produces firmness in ourselves and steadfastness with the Lord. We can't give from a well that is empty and only God can fill us up when the world around us just keeps taking.
I think we are more than capable of abiding by Him and spreading love the way He wishes for us to. It all starts with God's love. His love teaches us how to love, then, we translate His love to others with our actions. That's the kind of love we need more of in this world.
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