If you've been reading my ramblings lately, you know that I just finished 12 weeks of exercise "training". Last week I mentioned the following...
"I'm not sure I have ever been part of another group where not one person thought that they would benefit from someone else's failure nor would they suffer from someone else's success. It was refreshing."
I've been rolling this thought around in my head for a week now.
It was understood and expected that some of us were weaker than others. It was OBVIOUS -some run a mile in less that 7 minutes while others run it in 15. Those who were slower were not criticized or condemned or judged... it was understood that they just were not as physically fit as others...not yet anyway. Everyone wanted everyone else to do their best. We all wanted everyone to succeed.
I ran my final mile in 13 minutes. The fact that others ran a mile in half that time in NO way took away from my success or from the JOY I felt in taking 3 minutes off my original mile.
Let me say this again....
"I'm not sure I have ever been part of another group where not one person thought that they would benefit from someone else's failure nor would they suffer from someone else's success. It was refreshing."
I wonder what the rest of my life would look like if I had this same attitude about everything I do.
Think about it.
Is your view of success/failure based on whether or not you are better/worse than someone else? We do this in so many areas. We put our gifts and talents up against others who don't even have the same gifts and talents as we do. What is that saying... "If you measure success by one's ability to climb a tree, a fish will always feel like a failure" ... yeah, something like that.
This is especially dangerous when considering our spiritual life. Where I am with God is where I am with God. I am God's child because of the sacrifice Christ made for me. Nothing more. Nothing less. We so often measure our success or failure as a disciple/minister/Christian compared to what others are doing...when we were not called to carry out their calling, nor were they called to carry out ours.
What would our spiritual lives look like if we did not believe that our level of success or failure as a disciple was lessened by the success of, or heightened by the failure of, someone else? What would that FEEL like? Refreshing? Encouraging? Would we feel empowered? Maybe even victorious? I know this: Comparing myself to others leaves me feeling like a complete and utter failure.
If we understood and accepted the obvious truth... that we simply are not all in the same place in our spiritual walk.. how would we treat those who struggle? At the same time, would we be more likely to reach out for and accept help and encouragement from others?
Another image burned in my heart from training gives me a visual of this very thing. Those who finished first came back and ran in with those of us who were struggling...but that's a post for another day.
Much love and big big hugs!
K
"I'm not sure I have ever been part of another group where not one person thought that they would benefit from someone else's failure nor would they suffer from someone else's success. It was refreshing."
I've been rolling this thought around in my head for a week now.
It was understood and expected that some of us were weaker than others. It was OBVIOUS -some run a mile in less that 7 minutes while others run it in 15. Those who were slower were not criticized or condemned or judged... it was understood that they just were not as physically fit as others...not yet anyway. Everyone wanted everyone else to do their best. We all wanted everyone to succeed.
I ran my final mile in 13 minutes. The fact that others ran a mile in half that time in NO way took away from my success or from the JOY I felt in taking 3 minutes off my original mile.
Let me say this again....
"I'm not sure I have ever been part of another group where not one person thought that they would benefit from someone else's failure nor would they suffer from someone else's success. It was refreshing."
I wonder what the rest of my life would look like if I had this same attitude about everything I do.
Think about it.
Is your view of success/failure based on whether or not you are better/worse than someone else? We do this in so many areas. We put our gifts and talents up against others who don't even have the same gifts and talents as we do. What is that saying... "If you measure success by one's ability to climb a tree, a fish will always feel like a failure" ... yeah, something like that.
This is especially dangerous when considering our spiritual life. Where I am with God is where I am with God. I am God's child because of the sacrifice Christ made for me. Nothing more. Nothing less. We so often measure our success or failure as a disciple/minister/Christian compared to what others are doing...when we were not called to carry out their calling, nor were they called to carry out ours.
What would our spiritual lives look like if we did not believe that our level of success or failure as a disciple was lessened by the success of, or heightened by the failure of, someone else? What would that FEEL like? Refreshing? Encouraging? Would we feel empowered? Maybe even victorious? I know this: Comparing myself to others leaves me feeling like a complete and utter failure.
If we understood and accepted the obvious truth... that we simply are not all in the same place in our spiritual walk.. how would we treat those who struggle? At the same time, would we be more likely to reach out for and accept help and encouragement from others?
Another image burned in my heart from training gives me a visual of this very thing. Those who finished first came back and ran in with those of us who were struggling...but that's a post for another day.
Much love and big big hugs!
K
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