Everything I am about to say has applied to me as much as anyone else at one time or another. We are all people, myself included, and I have reached this conclusion:
People suck!
People are arrogant, impatient, and selfish. We are ignorant (not all are stupid, but some are), ignorant of our ignorance, and have no wish to be informed. People are spiteful, hateful, and prideful; or, if you prefer, heartless, loveless, and couldn't care less. In short, we, the people, suck.
Don't believe me? Have you ever looked down on someone and wished they would just go away? That's arrogance, impatience and selfishness all wrapped up in one. Or did you say, "No, I have never!" Really, you're too good for that? You can't believe I would even ask you, of all people, such a question? Unless you are as sinless as Jesus Himself, read the second line of this paragraph again. We all do it.
Ever get in an argument and find out you didn't know as much as you thought you did? That's ignorance. And when you kept arguing, you ignored your ignorance. When you were proven wrong, threw up your hands and walked away, you had no wish to be informed.
Ever wished a bad outcome on someone? Spite. Ever held a grudge against someone? Hate. Ever thought of yourself higher than you should (oh no, I am perfect!)? Pride.
Heartless, loveless, and couldn't care less. All of us. Guilty. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Life would be great, if not for all the people.
Whether it be work, school, family, or church--people are the bane, the thorn-in-the-side of life. We will not, in this life, all just get along. We will rub each other wrong, get in each others' way, and, most certainly, someone--probably me--will step on your last nerve. I can't help it. I suck.
And so do you. Admit it. If you are a Christian, that should come naturally. Why? Because as a Christian you have to admit you are a sinner. If sin doesn't suck, what does?
Oh, but we don't like to look at it that way, do we? No, we certainly do not. We are forgiven, redeemed, sanctified (or in the process thereof). Yep, and sinners still. Did you make it through today without a single sin? Me neither. You know what that means . . .
And yet, life is people.
Therein lies the rub. For all our failings, we are life. Two things last forever: God (His presence and His Word); and the souls of people. We, separate from all visible creation, were made to live eternally. If that's not life, what is?
The point is, people are our life. We are not perfect--not even one. But we're all we have. Someway, somehow, we have to figure out how to get along, work together, and look past the imperfections of ourselves and others. We have to practice kindness, patience, humility. We need to care. We need to love and, as hard as it is, like each other. I am no better than you, nor you any better than I. Those are hard to do. Why?
People suck.
Indeed we do. But when we admit it, and apply ourselves to change, maybe--just maybe--we can all suck a little bit less.
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