Be an Example!

One thing I have come to realize over the years since I began growing closer to God, is that I can’t change those around me.

I think as people we want so badly to control the things around us that sometimes we lose track of the root desires of our heart. Am I aligning with God, or does selfishness overtake me? Maybe my intentions are good, but how do I handle a situation interacting with people I want to help when they are continually causing chaos?

It can become even more difficult when what you desire the most, is change from the people you love. As someone who has been an addict, dealt with depression, homelessness, and incarceration. I know that once you are in that cycle it can become the hardest to come out of. Even if you want to change, you become so caught up in yourself that you forget that you are hurting those around you.

But how do I navigate as the one hurting on the other side of things? I have many people in my life who I want to do good, but sometimes it feels like it doesn’t matter what I say to them they won’t wake up from their misery. I know life is hard, but we can’t let that overcome us and most importantly we can’t let that replace Jesus.

So something I have to keep reminding myself is that I can’t change those around me, but what I can do is be an example. I can encourage them to be better and if it comes down to it, I can set healthy boundaries. But most importantly, I can pray for them.

My conclusion is, I can’t control the people in my life, but I can control myself. I want to strive to be like Jesus because he was the one who had it all figured out. Maybe by at least trying to do this for myself, I can inspire others to be better as well.