Monday; July 31

          Have you ever found yourself rooting for someone else’s failure?  Now, on the surface this may sound a bit mean, but it may be more common than we might like to admit.  When another person’s idea is accepted over ours do we think, “Fine, I hope that they go ahead with it and it falls flat on its face”?  When those who have been rough on us in the past find themselves in a bind do we reason, “It serves them right, now I hope they find out how I felt”?  When another person makes a bad choice, do we hope, “I can’t wait until they get what they have coming to them”?
Often, there is a fine line between vindication and vindictiveness.  Sure there are natural consequences for all of our actions – both good and bad – but we must be careful not to wish ill on others.  Who actually wins when people fail – often the answer is no one.  When people suffer (even because of choices that they made) we need to be careful not to gloat and point fingers, rather we must be willing to reach out a helping hand or offer a comforting hug.  
When we start to feel smug about people getting what they deserve, let’s think back on our own lives.  Were there people who supported us when we got what we deserved?  There are going to be times when people have to live with choices that are made.  When we see this happening let’s not harbor harsh thoughts that could very well alienate us – whether we openly express them or not.  When we see people dealing with those challenges (whether deserved or not) let’s do what we should to avoid coming across as uncaring or self-righteous. 
Think About It!

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