Allow Restlessness

When does anger turn to bitterness which turns to the lack of care for your fellow man?  Is there a trigger? Could this be prevented by someone else intervening, or is it solely a personal decision to let that resentment creep in.  I have observed much bitterness in others lives lately, and I have found that people have accepted it and are not in denial.  How is this permissible in their own mind?  We are all entitled to our own take on life, but why would you choose that route?  Did someone excuse their behavior every step of the way until they reached this point of no return?

I think the worst thing we can do for someone is excuse their behavior.  While everyone deserves the grace of God and forgiveness from their fellow man, that does not grant permission to treat others as you would not want to be treated.  Grace does not mean an excuse to do whatever we please… we should not desire to do things not of God if we are truly in relationship with him and love him into our core.   If we are taking the Bible at its word, we have to take it all, not just the parts that excuse our behavior or antics. 

I am just as guilty as the next person for justifying how I treat others based on what is going on with my day to day existence, but there should be no excuse.  I am not calling all to call each other out, but rather call yourself out.  Do not let yourself make excuses or justify your actions when you know not-so-deep-down that they are wrong.  No one has to give into that internal desire to lash out on someone else based on their problems. 

Honesty solves it all.  Why does telling someone the truth have to be so hard?  I know the answer!  People are rarely receptive to what they need to hear to improve themselves nor are they receptive to hear what is really going on with someone.  They aren’t even listening when we are talking about our day to day, so why would they listen to what we really want to talk about?  We ALL jump to the defensive and begin a countless stream of explanations.   I always feel like people are out of line telling me what I need to work on when they obviously have things they should be working on instead of worrying about me.  Instead of adopting the “pot calling the kettle black mentality” why not consider removing the plank in your own eyes?  Do not worry so much about other people and what they could be working on.  Do not get complacent and think you are doing fine and have nothing to work on.  We can ALWAYS be growing towards selfless love.    We have never reached the end.  Let your spirit get restless, don’t silence its anxiety.  

As I always tell my boyfriend, it is all in the attitude it is presented in.  Approaching people in love is what will change your world, which will change others worlds by extension, and will change the world in its entirety in the end.  We need to examine our own hearts before examining others hearts.  The same words will be received when they are given by a gentle spirit.  Most people shy away from that and think strength and humility cannot come from the same person, but in reality in humility comes the ability to be strong because your pride is not in the way.

This ends in what feels so obvious to me, but what is blatantly unclear to this world.  When people see a happy person they wonder how they have the ability to be that way.  The answer is simple, give it all up.  If you want for nothing you are happy with nothing.  Stop chasing after possessions and start chasing after joy.   In joy you will find peace and in peace you will find a life you may have never had otherwise.