Devotionals

---

“Balancing the Scale”
Thursday, March 17, 2005 †

“Get along with each other, and forgive each other. If someone does wrong to you, forgive that person because the Lord has forgiven you” (Colossians 3:13).


Solving a problem isn’t always easy to do when there are strong conflicting convictions on each side of the fence. We see this in all different aspects of life and have even witnessed the destruction it can bring.

Nations go to war because of disagreeing dogmas. Lives are sacrificed because two religions have different ideologies. Children and their parents are estranged because each refuses to understand the other’s fear. Man and woman … best of friends … brothers and sisters … the same can be said in all these relationships and more. In the end, however, we are all in the wrong because we’ve missed the point that God wanted us to learn. For God knew what He was doing when He created man; it was no accident that we are as we are with all our flaws and unattractive features. He knew that if He made us each unique, each with our own free will, free mind to do and to believe as we wanted.... He knew if the choices were ours individually and not His as the queen bee of one massive hive would have it.... He knew that if we were allowed to be as we are, human individuals, then there would be conflicts and battles, and peace would have to be something we fight for.

Despite knowing this in advance, God loved us so much that he gave us those gifts anyways; the freedom to be unique, to do, and to believe, to think – and yes, to be individuals so that we may learn and grow for ourselves. Because after all, he is not just our God, he is also our loving Father and no loving parent would ever want to limit their child’s potential or take his/her freedom away before they are even born. But what God had wanted so much to see us do with our differences is to accept them. Not agree, or negotiate, or adjudicate, or elaborate, those elements may be considered later, but to begin just accept. For if we can first accept that we are each not perfect, and that we all don’t see eye to eye…. If we can accept that it is okay for us not to be exactly like each other, then that is when we have made our first step towards peace; and maybe then, peace does not have to be fought for with fists and guns, but it can be achieved with a humble open minded act of acceptance.

It was always okay for us to be different and imperfect, God knew. The existence of differences between us is what allows us to learn, grow, and become an enriched race of humanity. He was just hoping that we would find for ourselves first the more peaceful way of dealing with our differences, so that he may be a father that’s proud because his children have chosen wisely for themselves in their freedom. And hence, his decision to give them freedom and individuality from creation wasn’t a bad one after all.

α†Ω

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE