Galatians 6:4 Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else.”
The video I posted earlier (See it here) finally helped me understand a few things I have been trying to work out.
Somehow I got hung up on the idea of “abiding” actually, fixated might be a better word because I was relentless in my pursuit of understanding what it meant to abide in Christ.
It wasn’t a problem at first you know…
Innocently I would compare my “growth” to others or my lack thereof and that was sort of ok I thought, but then I started to compare what others didn’t do.
I had this guy,
He turned up in my office on a Saturday about a month ago, he was homeless and I’ll say it right now I have a heart for people in this situation so when he asked if I could help him I just said “sure” I gave him some food, Gatorade and water that I had in my fridge and yes, I gave him a small amount of money. He asked if I could give him directions to a shelter which of course I was happy to do. As we talked he explained how he ended up in such a state, how he was fretful of his appearance and having to beg and he said “you know what hurts the most? Nobody will trust me because of how I look”. I prepared to see him out the door and he turned back and just hugged me and said “thank you for believing in me” and off he went. I thought could this guy be my “one”? Over the next few weeks he would turn up, ask for water, use the phone, and talk about not being able to find employment.
Well I can fix that!
I took the next step
When he turned up again bumming I said to him “I don’t have any money but I can put you to work right now and I offered him a full time job, to this he said “I need to go and find something to eat I’ll be right back”.
He didn’t return…
He did eventually come back a week later and asked me if I could “help him” flabbergasted I said “I tried to help you I offered you a job, that’s the best help I had!”
Annnd, he left.
I tried to fix him; my way.
Didn’t he want to get better?
But he didn’t need fixing.
So much for my “one” the I told you so’s are still ringing in my ears.
It’s so easy to compare ourselves to others and I fell for it, the Ole “I’m doing better than that guy” (when really I wasn’t).
I’ve only just started this walk, and while I’ve seen others traveling along the same path I failed to see that we didn’t all step on the same stones getting to the same place,
Each one of us has a personal struggle we deal with every day
It’s not a failing,
It’s an overcoming “in progress”.
Philippians 2:3 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
Wyldesyde007 