Thursday, October 4, 2012

Don't Change Others

Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be. ~Thomas à Kempis, Imitation of Christ, c.1420

My niece just posted this on FaceBook. I thought it worthy of sharing. For isn't it just like this...we spend a lot of time wishing others would do things differently, act differently, at least be more like I am. But the quote is so true, we can't even make ourselves who we want to be.

Quite frankly,  we don't even know who we want to be, so of course we can't become who we want to be. The problem lies when we compare ourselves to others. When we do this, we do not have a good measuring line. Everyone is different, so when we compare ourselves to others we think we aren't so bad after all. Or we want to be more like "so and so." That also creates a problem. Others change often  and are comparing themselves to others.

This is a sad domino effect. Is there a solution to this miserable condition? Oh but there is!! For you see, God never intended us to compare ourselves to others. We are unique to God. He has formed us. He leads us in the path He has chosen for us. He is the potter and we are the clay.

The Word of God is our mirror. That is our measuring stick to compare ourselves to the Word. And we are found wanting. But for the Grace of God, we could never come close to approval. God sees beyond our faults and humanness, He sees us through the Robe of Righteousness because of the blood of Jesus. The veil was torn at the death of Jesus. Now we can come boldly to the throne of Grace. To the Throne of God. 

Don't try to change others to what you want them to be. Neither try to change yourself to be more like others. Be unique in Jesus. Let Jesus change you to who He wants you to be. That is the only way to contentment and peace. God takes great joy in His children. We are precious in His sight.

God bless you

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