we are IT, and are committed to finding and exposing others.
I HATED GETTING CAUGHT IN HIDE AND SEEK. That meant that I was now the bad guy, and I had to find everybody who was hiding from me. For some of us this is a dark side power struggle we have been enjoying for far too long. Going on the offensive means we are committed to “doing unto others BEFORE they do unto us”, which is a warped view of the golden rule. We believe that others are out to get us, and the only way to survive is to get them first. Maybe this was a result of a painful family experience, where your every effort was judged In the family court of law and found wanting. Feeling that you could never achieve your way to love can lead to a dark game of hide and seek. Only this time, you volunteer to be the seeker. You look for weakness in everybody, and when you find it, you focus in with a laser beam of criticism and judgement. You are relentless in attacking failure, the way others may have attacked you in the past. If you ever find some semblance of peace, it is in knowing you have exposed someone else’s weakness and frailty. You do NOT invite them in for fellowship, but leave them outside in the cold. This is offensive behavior, and it is just that- offensive! People who are accomplished at this kind of fault finding are usually on the outside of the social circles, unless they are your boss, your co worker, or a family member. Oops, That just put them in the middle of my world! Everyday, all week. If you are this person, please stop and listen. God doesn’t like someone else doing His work. He promises to treat you the same way you treat others. In the apostles prayer, Jesus says “ and forgive us as we forgive others” Take a look at how you treat the imperfect around you, which is everybody including you and me. Begin to learn what mercy and grace are. You may have to evaluate somebody’s performance and find it lacking. That is OK, as long as you focus on the performance as lacking, not the person. Learn how to assess people you are managing with a new eye, one that sees with God’s heart. We are told in the letter to the Colossians that we are to forgive as we are forgiven. Take some time to reflect on how you have been forgiven by God. I’ll help you out, He has forgiven you utterly, completely, sacrificially, and forever. You may feel His gentle hand of discipline when you are off course, but even that is tempered by love, acceptance and hope for a better you to emerge. Quit playing the part of “IT”. Stop trying to protect yourself by judging others. Live a life of seeing another’s potential, and remember how God sees you.
If you are a victim of someone who is a hide and seeker, someone who can’t stand to see you succeed, I have some words from your favorite onlooker, Jesus. Remember, every time Jesus sees you, which is, by the way, 24/7/365(which means all the time every time!) He loves what he sees. If you internalize this fact, it will give you the internal strength and perspective to live freely and without fear in a world full of hide and seekers! Having God as your biggest fan allows you to do things you would never do, like obey Proverbs 15:1, which says “a gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” As a wrestler, I wasn’t used to dispensing gentle words. But now that Jesus is in control of what I see, I can speak with His voice, and calm a room of angry hide and seekers!
Once again, the reality of the current culture is that, even with a gentle answer, people will see you, and become committed to bringing you down to their level. When they try to, stay where you are, and they will stay where they are. They can’t take you down if you are committed to looking up- up to Jesus, up to other upward looking friends, and up to the next great thing God has for you. Ephesians 2:10 tells us what God thinks when He looks at you. “ You are God’s masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which He has already prepared for you to do. ( Ephesians 2:10) Let the downward lookers live in their self made prison, you are free to look up!
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