“Everyone of us needs to show how much we care for each other and, in the process, care for ourselves.”
Princess Diana
I think that it’s easy, especially because we are social distancing and doing most of our interactions online, to forget that people are really people. People are human beings, created in the likeness of God, and have a purpose. Every single one. And that includes you.
I have a relative who does not live near me, and he has often done things that would seem very self-centered. In fact, that’s been his trademark his entire life. I think that would be a fair accusation to make, too, considering his high expectations of others yet his own failure to live up to those expectations himself. I’ve never felt the “love” or concern from him, even though I should, and my family has made considerable more effort to reach out than he has. It’s easy for me to think poorly of him and forget that he is a person. Yet…
I talked to him on the phone today for the first time in months. And I remembered that he is a person.
Sometimes it takes reaching out and hearing someone’s voice or seeing someone’s face to realize how they are just as important as the person who shows you God’s love. I hope you have a community full of people that make you feel appreciated and cared for. But it’s still important to take the time to love even the difficult people who have let you down because perhaps it will help them change. Even if it won’t, you will have made them feel the way you wanted to feel.
However, don’t rely on those people or really anyone to tell you how you need to feel about yourself. Extend yourself the same grace and compassion that you want to experience. God made you very special and He wants you to not doubt yourself, or who you have become. You need to remember that you are your biggest advocate to others and you if you see yourself the way God sees you, then you don’t have to worry about the things that you compare yourself to. You should use opportunities to grow to become more like Jesus, but you should also feel satisfied where you are right now, because God’s love will sustain you.
Anyway, whether it’s an annoying coworker, a frustrating family member, or a person who has disappointed you, I hope you can see them the way God sees them today. And more importantly, I hope you can also feel God’s presence in your life and feel just as worthy and valuable as you are. ❤
“A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.”
~Proverbs 11:17
The Will to Wake Up 