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"Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ."
Galatians 1:10 (NIV)
Have you ever made this statement - My life is so much harder than ... ?" I know I have, maybe not in those exact words, but I've definitely made assumptions, especially about other Christians!
For many years, I assumed that I could never be as "good" as, never be as "truthful" as, never be as "holy" as THEM. I have led a hard, sinful life. I had things happen to me. I could never achieve the "status" of them! They are so smart, they are so good, they are so ... My assumption was that if they were "that," and I was "this," then they couldn't have had a hard time with life. They must have been brought up in functional families, they must have been taught in loving churches by loving people, they must have ...
It took me a long time to realize and understand that my assumptions were sins I was committing over and over. The enemy was whispering to me - Remember what you've done, remember what others have done, you could never be as _________ as them, those true Christians. And honestly, for many years, I felt I was "faking it" as a Christian because I believed that God could never fully be pleased with me. He could never fully love me. He could never fully forgive me. And if God could never fully do these things, then those I attend church with, those I look up to for guidance and encouragement, could never have lived a life of sin and they sure couldn't know and understand the "real" me.
One thing I've learned is that these assumptions are not biblical, in the least! God never promises us an easy life. We are sinners and we live in a fallen world. We are going to have heartache and failures and falls. Mine may not look like yours - yours may not look like mine - but we all have troubles. So there should not be comparisons of whose life is better or whose life is harder.
Another thing I've learned is that when I compare, it follows that I am going to try to be like "Mike." As the bible verse above says, if I'm trying to "be like others," I can't truly be a servant of God. To be a servant of God, I should be trying every single day to become more like Him, to develop more of His characteristics. "Mike" is sinful; God isn't!
A third thing I've learned is that when I make assumptions about others, it's hard to have any empathy for them. If their lives are "easier" than mine, it's hard to see their struggles, their disappointments, their heartaches. And let's be honest, it's hard to truly love them as Jesus loved!
So I no longer say, "My life is harder than ..." I want to always be aware that everyone has issues, everyone has down times, everyone has struggles, so that I can truly empathize and support them. I want to be someone who can be counted on when the chips are down. I want to be someone who will pray for others when they ask for prayer. I want to be like Jesus!
So I want you to hold me accountable. If you hear me say things like my life is so much harder, or I had it so much tougher, or if you hear me marginalize or minimize someone else's issues, let me know! I want to grow more like Jesus every day and show love and compassion to all!
Until next time,
Vickie
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