Thursday, June 21, 2018

How to Jump Over the Moon

This piece has nothing to do with jumping over the moon. Everyone knows that it is impossible to jump over the moon, unless you happen to be a cow. This has more to do with relational issues. If you are a parent you may remember the first time your sweet little darling said to you, “I don’t like you!” That was right after you told him or her, “No! You can’t do that!” That was not a serious relationship problem, but it does demonstrate how people react to us when we cross them in some way, or when we disagree with them on some issue. Disagreements do become a big deal and do sometimes destroy relationships. The more we deal with others the more we realize that having a good relationship with everyone is like trying to jump over the moon. If you are involved in the lives of others someone is eventually going to tell you, “I don’t like you!”

As people with different religious, political, social, economic, philosophical and educational backgrounds come together there will be more disagreements and less harmony within our circles of influence. In our world those circles of influence are becoming bigger and bigger. We live in a volatile, angry world. We live in a society of selfish, childish people. Everyone wants to have their own way. Our nation has become a kindergarten playground. “That’s mine, me first, you’re mean, I don’t like you!” Sounds like our nation’s Capital doesn’t it? It also sounds like many of our churches, our schools, our workplaces, our families.

Jesus taught us to have a servant's heart, a willingness to wash each others feet. To be last so that we might be first in his Kingdom. The Apostle Paul said, “Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3. We cannot desire to be number one and expect others to want to be around us, or love us. But that is not the reason to have the servants heart. The reason to desire a servants heart is because that is what God wants us to do. Love God and love others.
No, everybody is not going to like you. If you think they are go out tonight and jump over the moon!

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