Comparing myself with others keeps me from accepting myself as I am. As I compare, I am drawn to think and perhaps even believe that I am not good enough, or that I am better than others.
Attempting to control others keeps me from accepting others as they are. If I'm always thinking that they should be doing such and such or acting a certain way, I am not giving them the grace to be who they are.
In a way, I think that being grace-filled is a sign of emotional maturity. An emotionally mature person is sure enough of themselves that they are able to give others (and themselves) the freedom to be just as they are.
Being grace-filled is also a sign of a spiritually mature person. Because when someone truly believes that God is in control and has a handle on each person's journey, there is no need to compare and no need to control. God will take care of both my own growth and the growth of others.
I don't think I'm there yet, but that's what I want to be.
2 comments:
those are great insights. helps me with my understanding of grace. and understanding helps with the choices that i make, day by day. tim.
being a mechanic by trade, my dad likes giving me car analogies. here's the one for this lesson:
1. what's the difference between a sports car and a sedan? is one better than the other? (no. their worth comes from the creator, who determines their purpose.) so can the sports car compare itself with the sedan? (again, no.) this illustrates the foolishness of comparison.
2. each car has its own computer that controls it right? (yes.) can the computer in the sports car control the sedan? (no.) can the creator of both cars control both of them? (yes.) this then illustrates the foolishness of trying to control others.
thanks, dad, for the illustrations.
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