“To minimize or deny what we feel is a distortion of what it means to be image bearers of our personal God. To the degree that we are unable to express our emotions, we remain impaired in our ability to love God, others, and ourselves well.” --Peter Scazzaro
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I'm not much one for those Which Character of (fill in the blank) Are You? quizzes that are so popular today. I don't mean to suggest that these tests are wildly inaccurate but I once took a Which Kuiper Family Member Are You? quiz and found out I was my brother. I am of the opinion that most times, when we engage in such hypotheticals, it is not that we desire to be found like a certain character. Rather, it is with the hope that we are not like a particular personality. That is certainly true when taking the Which Winnie the Pooh Character Are You? quiz. It's not so much that we want to be seen as having the joyfulness and confidence of Tigger, the cheerfulness and wisdom of Christopher Robin, or the thoughtfulness and friendliness of Winnie the Pooh. We just pray that we are not to be found most like Eeyore. Eeyore is known for his gloom and doom temperament. He is passive and pessimistic. He has a despairing disposition that tends to make things much worse than they are. Eeyore is not the type to take risks. He doesn't set aside time to have fun. He often feels unloved and unheard. I don't want to be like Eeyore. But, truth be known, there are times when the similarities are sobering. There are days when I inexplicably feel down; when I expect the worst in every situation; when I see my glass, not only as half-empty, but completely dry; when I wonder if anyone understands or even cares. I experience periods of time when Eeyore's melancholy manner fits me to a tee. But one thing Eeyore has going for him: Eeyore has friends. Friends who, despite his ever-present issues, still welcome him to be a part of their lives. Friends to whom he is so special they wouldn't think of not including him in their adventures. Friends who don't withhold their love, demanding that he first meet their criteria for companionship. Friends who don't force him to pretend to feel something that he doesn't. Friends who are willing to look beyond his faults and accept him as he is. Whenever my inner Eeyore emerges, I find great comfort in knowing that I have a Friend like that, too. A Friend who enjoys spending time with me. Who loves me even when I'm not very lovable. Who, for some reason, thinks the world of me. He is a Friend I can always feel comfortable around, who allows me to be myself. A Friend whose love isn't contingent on my behaving a certain way. A Friend who knows everything about me and still accepts me with open arms. The good news is, since I've come to know Jesus more and more, my Eeyore moments are becoming less and less. We know from Scripture that God loves everyone. But I will confess, there have been people I've met that have had me thinking to myself, "God, you've got your work cut our for you with this one." Yet, He loves them. And, what's more, He tells me to love them. All of them. Even the ones who aren't very lovable. Even the ones who don't speak or dress or drive or think or believe or vote the way I do. Even Cub fans. To love people as God loves them we must see them as God sees them. He looks beyond their fault and sees their need. To love others as God loves them we must look at every person we encounter from our Heavenly Father's perspective. Often, what we see is very different from what God sees. We see an antagonist who always has to be right. God sees a person who needs to find healing from being wronged. We see a jokester who can never be serious. God sees a person who needs an outlet for the pain he or she is trying to hide. We see a braggart who can't stop talking about his or her self. God sees a person who needs to know that he or she is deeply loved apart from what they've done or where they've been. We see someone who is not only depressed but depressing. God sees a person who needs permission and a safe place to express his or her pent-up anger. We see a wallflower who is always compliant and who never expresses an opinion. God sees a person who needs the boldness that comes from believing that he or she, as well as their opinions, matter. We see an high-energy, over-achieving workaholic. God sees a person who needs to understand that true significance does not come from what we do. We see a perfectionist. God sees a person who needs to love him or her self enough to allow for mistakes. We see a deadbeat dad who walks away from his family responsibilities. God sees a person who needs to experience what a good Father is before he can become one. We see a hopeless drug-addict. God sees a person who needs to believe that, for those who trust in Him, there is always hope. We see a gang member who is filled with anger. God sees a person who needs intimacy and a sense of belonging. We see a terrorist who is consumed by hate. God sees a person who needs to experience, at a soul level, the love of Jesus. We see someone with zero sense of self-worth. God sees a person who needs to know that he or she is worth dying for. We must love others as God does. We must look beyond their fault and see their need. After all, that's how our Heavenly Father loves us. |
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