I think it's a fair statement that most everyone has either been taken for granted or has taken someone else for granted. We have all done this at some point, maybe not intentionally but it happens. The person being taken for granted really ends up feeling bad and the person that took them for granted at some point will feel bad, so it's an absolute lose/lose situation. The fact that a majority of the time we don't behave this way intentionally doesn't usually seem to be of any help for either person. We need to guard against this so that this doesn't happen.
Taking people and things for granted isn’t something that just started happening. It's one of those behaviors that we learn by watching and has been passed down from generation to generation that we need to break here and now in Jesus name. If we don't break this cycle, we will pass this behavior on to future generations and we just can’t allow this to happen. "The only way to better tomorrow is to fix today". If we continue to live as though this behavior is acceptable, not only will we be judged for it but the future generations will be judged for it. I don't believe that any of us want to impose that on our children or their children. 2 Samuel 22:21-23 says that (GOD made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before him. When I cleaned up my act, he gave me a fresh start. Indeed, I've kept alert to God's ways; I haven't taken God for granted. Every day I review the ways he works, I try not to miss a trick.)
This is a hard lesson to learn, mostly because we don't want to face the possibility that we have done this. I have an especially hard time with this particular issue when it's brought to my attention that I have taken something or someone for granted. It hurts me beyond belief to hear this. What hurts even more is hearing that we did this to someone and how it made them feel. We need to be very sensitive to others when they tell us that we've done this, because often times we aren't aware of it and the natural response is to try and deny we did it or explain it away. Let's try something new and take a different approach to this by accepting our mistakes, acknowledging we have done wrong, asking for the person's forgiveness and doing better next time. It's not an easy thing to do, but do we want to live easy or live righteously?
We all have good intentions and we mean to do well, but as the saying goes, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." It will only be by good actions and right thinking that we will finish this race called life with victory. John 14:6 tells us that (Jesus said, "I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me.) In order for us to enter into heaven, we need to be living as Matthew 7:12 tells us to in The Golden Rule (Do for others what you would like them to do for you. This is a summary of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.) I know that I don't want to be taken advantage of, and I don't like how it feels when I am. I also can't think of anyone else that likes that feeling either. So if we keep this in mind, it will act as a constant reminder and a deterrent from taking advantage of anyone or anything else.
To go a step further with this, we take for granted that there is going to be a tomorrow. The fact is this, we are not guaranteed a tomorrow. We all need to assess where we are at in our walks with God. Are our souls in a condition that we can feel comfortable if Jesus were to return tomorrow? We should be living life like he could appear tomorrow, because he very well could. Would you be ready if he came back tomorrow? I wish I could say with absolute certainty that I'm all set, but truth be told, I don't know if any of us could say that. Each day needs to be a new effort at bettering ourselves. We should do a self exam each day to make sure we’re in good standing. If God should choose to take us tonight in our sleep have we made right any wrongs in our lives? Have we forgiven others as we should? Have we lived as we wanted to, or as Jesus instructed? Have we loved as much as we could have? Have we given grace where we should have with no conditions? Have we kept our hearts and souls in the best condition possible? God Help us.
I'm going to be paying much closer attention to my spiritual well being. One of the things we can all do to improve ourselves, is to take advantage of the opportunity's we have on a daily basis to do great things. God has given us an intellect unlike any other living thing on the earth. We need to use it for the betterment of ourselves and others. We need to give grace when someone wrong's us. We need to love unconditionally. We need to help those that cannot help themselves. How much harder is it to offer help than to criticize? Wouldn't it be better for our spiritual well being if we didn't let others steal our joy under any circumstances? It's not theirs to take so don't let them. Protect your joy and peace with all that you are. In doing this we will improve ourselves, and the changes in us will absolutely cause a stir in the world around us. Let us all be the light that pierces the darkness in the lives of others.
Please pray this with me.
Dear Lord, I ask for your forgiveness for the times when I've taken advantage of something I shouldn't have. Whether it was intentional or not it was still wrong. Father I ask you to help me to be a better person in every way. I want to be an opportunist for you God. Please help me to take full advantage of every opportunity that is presented to me, to share your love with others and to avoid the things that are not of you Father. I pray that you would speak to each of us today in the way that only you can. Tell us where we need to improve and show us the area's you want us to grow in. As you lead us to the river of eternal life, may we drink of that water abundantly and gain from it the clarity in our vision to see from your perspective how we look to you, so that that we would see the beauty and light in ourselves when we do your will and also how dark we can become when we do things that you do not will for us to do.
In Jesus name I pray
Amen
God Bless You All
“The Sharpshooter”
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