Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Day 74 -Be nice

(Each day this week I want to share some outlying notes I took at church and some little random tidbits that really spoke to me this weekend).

Any fool can criticize but it takes wisdom to see the beauty in all things.

We all need to live by this more. I freely put my hand up to admit that I criticize more than I should. It's so easy to judge someone else's situation based on what we see and the internet and blogging world gives us millions of other people to criticize as much as we choose. It's a mean, mean world out there.... I have read those comment boards after newspaper articles where anyone can write their opinions. I often wonder where the people who write them live and why they are so angry. But, I often find my own anger in critical viewpoints I give, whether to the person or behind their back. When I say things, I can hear my hurts and insecurities coming out in the amount of gusto I say them with. The worst part is that I am really trying to see the beauty in things and while I can see that I am getting better at it, I think that it is a life long process.

So what do we do? God clearly tells us to live our life with love and let love motivate everything we do. I also think that practicing silence is important. I am so bad at this but when I really think about it, I don't need to have an opinion about everything. Or at the very least, I can learn to keep my opinion to myself. And, we can definitely stay out of circles of peers that we find are quick to attack others. I just read a blog post about a woman who was fed up with the handmade community because they were constantly bashing each other in cliques. She was confessing her part but also seeking some relief from how bad it was by being honest. You have to stand up and move forwards sometimes because it's so easy to get caught up. I liked an example at church where Jesus says, "...what is that to you." Meaning, it's none of your business, stay out of it, it doesn't concern you. Hmmmmm I am so guilty of this.

So what do we do? After reading through Proverbs I felt like it was saying over and over again that the key to a fulfilling life is gaining wisdom and you become wise by giving love, being humble, listening to others, serving others, loving yourself and following the word of God. So if it takes wisdom to see the beauty in all things then we need to practice all of that and then with time and practice we will no longer be any fool who can criticize. I am working on it.

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