“I hate this, I don’t want to have to go thru this!” Don’t blame you for feeling that. But sometimes, maybe you need ‘this’. Maybe, it’s going to prepare you for something that is coming your way, years from now. Or just maybe, it is to shape you into becoming a better person. Truth is, your Creator knows you, and knows exactly what’s needed in your life.
But let’s face it, most of us human race members are self-oriented and really despise hurting. We detest not having things go exactly the way we want them to go. Totally dislike when certain people don’t act and react the way we want them to. Somehow, we seem to feel that we should be treated special, and all bad stuff should stay the heck away from us. And we are extremely glad to voice our opinion of how unfair it is when something bad does happen to us.
But when hurtful things happen to someone else, somehow that doesn’t cause us near as much heartburn. When a barely tolerated co-worker suffers unfairly, some will react with, “That’s okay with me. After all, they deserve it, the way they always act around here.”
And if a neighbor suffers thru a horrible event, “Well yeah, that is a tough one. But, ya know, what goes around comes around. They probably needed to come down a peg or two, always behaving like they own the world. Guess they’re gonna see life from us regular people’s level now.”
And yes, if a beloved friend has a tragedy happen in their life, then friends and neighbors will rally around them to help and console…for a little while. “But, after all, life must go on, and everyone has to get back to normal sooner or later.”
Want an example that people are naturally self-oriented? Easy. Just watch and listen to a baby.
Concern for his exhausted Mom is not anywhere on the radar of that infant. He just insists on being fed when he feels that first pang of hunger. And if he wants a clean diaper, that baby will let whoever is in earshot know it – loudly. If he is lonely, or sleepy, or angry, then he will demand that someone in his universe fix it.
We humans are probably the most automatically self-centered creatures ever made. Oh, we can overcome that inborn ‘Me first and always’ instinct, but that is definitely not our go-to attitude in life.
Yep, we are born totally fixated on ME. We have to be taught that others deserve our love, care and respect, just as much as ourself. And that teaching is supposed to begin with parents training their kid to be unselfish and kind. And then training continues, with life applying its firm hand of discipline to our stubborn and self-centered backsides.
And if parents neglect to do their job? Never fear, often life seems to take over and do double-duty to make up for them.
