FRIENDSHIPS WITH OTHERS: Realization

by LadyPinkfLaMe Mon Aug 18, 2008 3:19 am

Something I would like to share! I really miss the girls here in CGGC. I could see that we are growing in number. This only means that the club will encounter a variety of people - different attitudes, different perceptions, and different expectations. I’m praying for a peaceful and joyful friendship within the club.

We all experience some things in life that bring us great joy and other things that hurt us deeply. No one likes to be hurt, but our response to the things that hurt us will determine whether we become bitter or better. Some people get bitter after being hurt, others become better. Usually, our expectations are at the root of each response and determine which outcome we will produce. We expect all kinds of things from people who don’t even know we are expecting something, and therefore, they often fail to meet our expectations.

We must know how to live our lives respectfully and how to treat others when we have been wronged or think we have been wronged. So many people seem easily offended. Offense has become a big problem and it hinders the flow of the anointing, which is vital to our seeing lives change. The anointing comes where there is unity, not strife and offense. Let us strive to do what is right, regardless of what someone else is doing.

In difficult situations in dealing with others, I have found that my attitude is more important than the facts. If I maintain the right attitude, I can better deal with the facts. A wrong attitude or motive can cause me to miss the plan that God has for me. Furthermore, a wrong attitude can damage my relationship with others.

Good relationships are wonderful and make life sweeter. I would not have enjoyed so many great experiences had it not for my friends who were there to enrich the moment, teaching me about life or introducing me to things that made my life better.

On the other hand, I’ve been hurt by friends and felt betrayed by some people, while expecting something. This is the risk involved in relationships.

Other times I was the one who caused the hurt. Because of my immaturity or because I placed unrealistic expectations on others, I felt let down. Perhaps I wasn’t being as sensitive as I could have been.

Sometimes it’s hard to know just how a person is feeling. But, regardless of who let down whom, I’ve tried to learn from each experience – whether good or bad – so that I can be wiser and better informed. And as I learn from my mistakes, I can live in peace and trust people more.

Since life is so short, we need to live each day in peace and in the presence of God, learning to appreciate the people God places in our lives. Among the friends God gives us to know, some may turn out to be friends for a season, while others may become friends for life.

Things happen over which we have no control. We must realize that decisions made by others sometimes affect our relationships and our lives. These decisions may hurt us, but we have basically two ways to respond: We can hold on to the wrong, or we can forgive and move forward. Looking back at the hurt is destructive both to ourselves and to others, so the better choice of the two is to forgive and look to the future.

And this is what I actually did lately during my re-self-exploration:

If you find yourself hurting because of a bad experience with others, I pray you will first mend yourself by making sure you are right with God. If you have been treated wrongly in the past, I pray you will set yourself free by forgiving, and allow God to show you the green pastures of His love.

David acknowledged that only God can do this:

“You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever” (Psalms 16;11 NLT)