Seeking to Understand

Someone very wise once told me to seek to understand before judging. Sometimes you have people in your life who you really look up to, but they judge you and do not try to understand at all. They judge your character based off of misperceptions and do not even try to forget about what they THINK they know and instead, begin to try to understand who you are in Jesus Christ. And it hurts. It really hurts. It hurts more than words can express. Sometimes, the one person who you consider your role model dislikes you and lets you down, but Jesus Christ is the role model who will never let you down. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try restore things, it will never be good enough, but it doesn't have to be good enough, because Christ's sacrifice was and IS good enough, and true reconciliation is found in Him. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you just can't change people and the skeptical way in which they view you, but God knows your heart, and that is really all that matters. Regardless of tough situations with relationships, whether they be family relationships, friendships, romantic relationships, or academic relationships, always remember that you can pray. You can pray that the Holy Spirit will work in their lives and in yours. You can pray that the Holy Spirit will work a miracle in their hearts and change them from the inside out. You can always pray. Prayer is a weapon that demolishes all strongholds, yet we save it as a last resort when it should be the weapon that we use the most. If someone in your life has a heart of stone, do not give up on them. If you have a heart of stone, do not give up on yourself. Sometimes, however, not giving up means taking a step back, giving up control and giving God the control through prayer and petition. Remember, just because God doesn't work in time for you to see the results, it doesn't mean that He is not working. Have the faith of a child and trust that God is always working, even when it is not as soon as you think it needs to be or as visible as you want it to be. Pray without ceasing. Never stop praying. As you are praying for someone who has hurt you, for that one person who you just can't get through to, you will find that God is changing them. And you might just find that God is changing you too.