Do It Anyway

Yesterday I posted one of my favorite quotes on facebok.  It's truly something that I believe we all need to live by.
“People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway. If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.” ― Mother Teresa

Forgive them anyway... In the Bible it says we are to forgive 70 x 7.  It also says that if we can't forgive, how can we expect God the Father to forgive us?  There is a story of a parable involving a servant who owed his master money. The master forgave him his debt. The servant then met a man who owed him a far less amount than he had owed.  The servant became furious when he found out and had him thrown in jail until he could pay the debt.  When the master found out how the servant behaved, he then threw the servant in jail. The point is, we can never repay the debt that we owe... the debt that resulted in Jesus's death on the cross.  Nothing that anyone can do to us could ever equal that debt.  People are unreasonable... including me and you. And we are self-centered.  We hurt each other without thinking.... we make decisions in a split second that can impact relationships... we choose hurt and hate instead of love.  God's answer to this is forgiveness... and loving our neighbors.  Loving even when the other person doesn't deserve it. Every action has a precursing action, every reaction has a rationale behind it.  Yes, our feelings may be hurt, we may have a broken heart or just not understand, but the only person unforgiveness hurts is ourself.

Be kind anyway... people are highly suspicious of kindness.  We cry ulterior motives... people can't be kind just because they want to. And in many cases, this is true.  We are kind because we want something.  We "use" people to get what we want... but those same people are using us.  And we can't be kind just because we want to. It is only through God's Spirit in us that we can be unselfishly kind.

Be honest, anyway... honesty leaves us open to pain.  When we are honest, we are revealing our soul to others. We're living a wide-open book so that anyone can read us, and that means that we open ourselves up to attack.  Being honest means standing up for what we believe to be right, no matter what.

Be happy anyway... Mother Teresa states that if we are happy, people are jealous.  Misery loves company.  Be happy anyway... don't let others drag you down.  Laugh.  Smile.  Encourage happiness in others.  Never lose your sense of love.  When you start becoming unhappy, figure out why.  Address those things.  NEVER let anything steal your joy, because it is too hard to fight to get it back.  And even if you aren't happy, work toward becoming happy. This is especially true in relationships.  It's too easy to allow the day to day cares of the world to make you fall out of love.  Love is patient, though, and endures all things.  True love is happiness... even when things or circumstances are going on that can make you unhappy.

Do good anyway... It's not about recognition or a pat on the back. Doing good is about service, about being the hands and feet of Jesus.  It's about feeling good about yourself and how you've helped encourage or pull someone up.  If you're doing something so that you can be remembered, you might consider what was just said about ulterior motives. 

Give your best anyway... because sometimes our best isn't good enough. Some people can never be satisfied.  It's our job to do our best and leave the rest of the mess to Jesus. 

In the end, it's about you and God.  It was never about you and them anyway... that's right.  What people think of you, what people say to you or about you, doesn't matter.  At the end of the world, and it is coming, the only thing that is going to matter is where you stand with God.  And forgiveness, and doing your best, and being happy and kind, and doing good... all of those things are going to impact where you stand. What hurtful things people say about you aren't going to matter to you.  All the times people have been jealous and tried to knock you don't won't count.  Those people who refused to accept your kindness and intentionally hurt you just aren't going to matter. It's just going to be you and Him... and HIs light will surround you and all of the darkness of the previous world is going to be in the past forever.

Sorry this has been such a long post.  I've just had a lot on my mind.  I'm signing my name to this one. No matter what anyone says or does, God is the victor, and His people are victorious.  Kind of like what they say at weddings, "What God has put together, let no man put asunder." And that's my stand... and I'm going to endure til the end.