New rule. Do unto others as they have done to you. If they have done you no wrong, do them no wrong. If they have done you no right, use your discretion.
For the longest, I lived by the rule "Do unto. Others as you would have them do unto you." Great in theory. In actual practice, people find ways to manipulate you and they take your kindness for weakness. I used to be the "Turn the other cheek" kind of person. Not anymore. That is not to say go into each situation swinging, but rather to say "You only have 2 cheeks. How many times will you allow them to hit the one that was hit 2 times before?"
This is not refuting Jesus' teachings at all but rather forcing us to realize that Jesus did not want weak disciples. He wanted people who could stand up for what they believed in and do so with compassion and not gullibility. He preaches (present tense b/c the Word is living) forgiveness, not forgetfulness. Be wise and not naïve. If someone stabs you in the back 2 times in 1 day, will you really give them a 3rd try or at least be wise enough to allow yourself to heal and strengthen? Sometimes people need to mature before they can truly appreciate good people. If you don't serve as the catalyst for that maturing process, you are doing both yourself as well as them a disservice.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Litera scripta manet. - Unknown
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