We form opinions.
About life. About things. About other people.
When other people grow and develop and change, some people refuse to see such growth or development or change.
They previously formed conclusions and refuse to change those opinions. They lock their notions.
Instead of complementing and encouraging, instead of recognizing and acknowledging, instead of respecting and loving, the old thoughts remain the main thoughts. The old views appear to be the only views.
Dear Lord, help us help others. Encouraged us to encourage others. Give us ears to hear and hearts to love and minds to learn. Take away the hate we too often display. Help us have the right perspective about life and things. And especially about people. Please form our opinions for us. May our views be Your view. May our attitudes be Yours.
[34] “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. [35] By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35 NIV)
[1] “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. [2] For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. [3] “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? [4] How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? [5] You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:1-5 NIV)
[19] My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, [20] because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. (James 1:19-20 NIV)
When I started my first year of college I met a lot of new friends who knew what my personality was like whenever I was comfortable and happy. Whenever I went back home I witnessed a lot of refusal to see that I was happy at college. They thought I wouldn’t be able to do it as it was so far away from home. They refused to see that I was doing ok and wanted to bring me down with them. After reading this blog I’ve seen how much these events that happened relate to this. I agree that they can’t see the growth and change that I’ve overcome. They only want to see what they want to see and that is no way to live.
When thinking about attitude, a lot of people have a fixed mindset and are not willing to change it. I feel that when people keep their minds closed to new ideas and experiences, they are missing out on God’s plan for our lives. He says that we need to keep ourselves open and ready for whatever he puts in our path and think about what we are given before we act rashly and regret it.
I agree with what the blog mentions on the topic: some people refuse to see such growth or development or change.
I am someone who firmly believes in “people can change.” In this, I’ve experienced it in a way I cannot describe. Because I am changed, some people have chosen to not see that, and it is hard for others to accept it. One thing I’ve grown up believing is that people can in-fact change, put changing the opinions of others is hard, but not impossible.
The poem is about the different types of people in this world, and the love that we lack from it. It talks about people forming their own opinions about people, when the only opinion that matters is the Lord.
I think that for myself, it is especially hard to live while knowing there are opinions that people hold against me that do not align with me. I try my best to not hold judgments for this very reason. We are called to listen first and it is important to remember that in this listening the truth that God has first provided to us speaks louder than any judgment against us, to have faith in knowing that God’s word should lead our paths.
I believe that opinions are formed really easy before people know each other. We can all learn from each other and get different skills and thoughts.
It is so hard for me to sometimes accept that people change and grow and there is nothing I can do about it. Whether I think it is for the better or worse I have no control over what they choose to do with their lives. I may have liked them better before they changed but that is not who they are now. That is why I believe we are meant to have friends that we grow with and become better together. We also have friends where you will drift apart from them slowly. Both situations bring different life lessons and are meant to help me grow as an individual. Friendships come and go, and people grow and change. Growth is meant to happen, but it happens differently for every person.
I was educated to not be a person of radical notions, meaning that should someone or some set of circumstances provided me with good reason to change mey opinion on something, it should not be hard or feel difficult for me to do so. That does not mean that one should never stan for what one believes in, but to understand that there is less and less room for absolute concretes in today’s world.
I really enjoyed this post because it highlights the importance of not staying complacent. It is like in sports, we put in countless hours of training for what? Definitely not to stay at the same place we have been for the last however many years, we train to get better and grow. This same mindset applies in life, I hope the Lord frees me from the shackles of complacency and allows me the strength and courage to keep striving for more in life.
This poem really spoke to me personally. Everyone has a opinion for what you do and it depends on how you let it affect you through out life. LIke Gianna said its like sports , always putting in work for a outcome to be better or the best.
There are moments when I find it extremely difficult to accept that people change and mature and there is nothing I can do about it. I have no say over what they decide to do with their lives, whether I think it’s for the better or worse. Even though I think I liked them better before, that is not the same person they are now. I think it’s inevitable that we will have friends who will help us develop and grow as a team.
I agree with the podcast. It says that some people refuse to see the growth or change that is happening in their life. I think its because they’re so used to being hurt and being stuck in the same constant cycle that they have a hard time seeing things clearly and they lack the willingness to see what is in store for them.