People

We must accept people as they are, rather than wishing they were as we would like them to be.

Paraphrased from George Washington (when writing about his rather rag tag army)

People come in all shapes and sizes. So often we spend a lot of time and energy wishing and even being irritable about the people in our lives and how we would like them to change to make our lives easier or just so they "fit" into our ways of thinking more. We wish that our husband were more_______, our children were more like ______, our family member didn't do ________ so much and our coworkers more hardworking, less noisy, less annoying, smarter, etc. Really, if we think about it, moaning and groaning about how we wish someone would change accomplishes nothing, accept making you and others around you miserable! Basically, we need to accept people as they are and go on with our lives and make sure we are doing what we should be doing! If someone needs help with life, we can pray for them, encourage them and mentor them, but we need to make sure that WE don't have our own agenda and that our goal is to help THEM (they also need to be a wiling participant)! If you have someone who you have a really difficult time dealing with pray for them at least once a day and before/during your interactions with them. It is amazing how God will change your heart and even help you to see their good qualities that were there all along, you were just focusing on the wrong area!

Ephesians 4:31-5:2

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.