NO GAIN FROM INFLICTED PAIN
by:
Moralez Valoo
Have you ever been in a situation where you just couldn't get yourself to do the right thing? Did you feel bad about that or did you figure it was just one of those things that happens in life sometimes? Did you try to make up for the wrong you did or did you try to hide it?
Lewis was a young lad who tried hard to be accepted by the other kids in his class. He was smart enough and he didn't mind helping others with their school work. The teacher had praised Lewis for his kindness many times.
One day while Lewis was helping Lora with her math something went wrong. Lora was angry because she didn't want any help. To her it made her look stupid in fromt of her classmates. She didn't tell anyone how she felt.
Lewis had moved some of the stuff on the table they were working at so that he could demonstrate the problems they were working on. Nothing had ever happened before when he moved the stuff but today was different. While Lewis wasn't looking Lora pushed a glass vase off the table. It made an awful crashing noise.
Lewis was startled by the noise and got up to clean up the mess just as soon as he saw what happened. Mrs. Larson came over and talked to the children. Lora told her that Lewis had thrown the vase on the floor because she couldn't understand her math and that working with him had just made things harder for her.
Lewis explained that he was sorry about the vase and that he had not thrown it on the floor. Mrs. Larson was not sure who was telling the truth. Neither of the children had lied to her before and so she asked them both what they thought should be done.
Lora said that Lewis should replace the vase and stay after school. Lewis said that he wasn't sure what should be done but that he would replace the vase. Mrs. Larson took that as a confession that he had broken it. Why else would a child offer to replace something?
Lewis took a note home to his parents telling them about the incident. The parents agreed that the vase could be replaced but they were confused as to why Lewis had said he would replace it even if he had not broken it.
Lewis told them that maybe if he had not confused Lora so much the accident would not have happened. He had not seen it happen but he knew that Lora was not the type of person who would just throw something. If she was that upset about the way he was helping her than he felt in part at least it was his fault that the vase got broken.
Lewis's mother took the vase to school the next day and explained things to Mrs. Larson. Mrs. Larson talked to Lora and Lora admitted that she felt stupid to be helped by Lewis. After all Lewis wasn't popular like she was so her friends knew that she needed help. After talking for a while Lora admitted that she did need help with math and that she had been wrong in blaming Lewis.
Lora told Lewis she was sorry. She also had to tell the class that she had lied. Lewis forgave her but that incident changed something in his life. He didn't feel quite as good about helping people anymore. He felt that if they didn't want the help they would dislike him or that the help he gave would even hurt them.
Lewis had tried to cover up for someone because he thought he was wrong in the way he had helped them.
Lora had to face the reality of why she had thrown the vase. She wanted people to think she was super smart in everything. Just because Lewis was the one who was helping her she blamed him for making her look stupid. She had hurt Lewis and herself by her actions.
When you try to use others to make yourself look like something you are not, you harm them because you are making a negative impact on their life. It doesn't matter if they see it that way or not. Your actions might be the only thing someone else remembers about that person and they will believe the negative. If they gossip they will spread it about and others might start believing it too.
You also hurt yourself. By trying to hide who you are and the needs you have you keep yourself down. By letting others influence you enough so that you want them to see you as perfect you are placing them in a position they do not deserve to be in. You need to realize that if you need to be perfect in their eyes for them to care about you that they really don't care. You are giving them the rights that only God has over you or anyone else. That is the right of judgment. Give that right back to God and start living the life He meant for you to have.
Be human! Make mistakes and accept that you do! Don't believe that you should know everything because it is impossible! Do not hurt others so that you can make personal gain because that gain is false and very likely not long-lasting! Ask yourself do you want to get ahead in life by hurting others. If you answered yes or that is doesn't matter if you have to do it you have to do it; ask yourself if you would like it to happen to you.
� Genuine Safe Haven Ministries
Cameos For Christ
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