Everybody has got something. Something that eats at them. A secret past. A dirty habit. A guilty pleasure. A quiet obsession. Everyone has demons. Some of them are very noticeable; you can see the meth addict's open sores with your eyes. Still others have demons that are deep down inside somewhere no eye can see; though the poison that gnaws at their bones is just as real. Maybe it's your fault, or maybe someone else did something terrible to you. But I'm here to say that it's all OK. It's perfectly normal. Really.
Know why? Because EVERYONE has something. Not having a problem is weird.
We are surrounded by ruined people. Everyone you will ever meet has done something that they regret. You can never know until they tell you. Even your best friend may have some horrible issue that they are too embarrassed to admit. So lets start assuming everyone around us is guilty until proven otherwise. Know what happens when we do that? We can finally take a breath. It's oddly liberating to remember how imperfect and screwed up we all are. It is wonderfully reassuring.
The genius behind all of us being screwed up is that our problems seem less bad when we choose to help, love, and lift others instead of condemning them. I can say all this because I believe that we are here with other people for a reason. If God had wanted us here alone, He could have figured out a way. We have other people in our lives to help us, love us, and lift us. And guess what? Those people that are helping, loving, and lifting you have demons too. That is what makes it so great. If they didn't, we might resent their help because "they just don't know what it's like to suffer."
Remember, Jesus saved his most scathing rebukes, not for harlots, adulterers, or thieves, but for hypocrites. God loves us, faults and all. But the thing that angers Him the most is when we try to pretend that we aren't screwed up. We pretend we aren't screwed up whenever we judge others. We pretend we aren't screwed up when we withhold help. We pretend when we selfishly focus inward. We pretend when we numb ourselves with alcohol or drugs. We pretend when we waste time. We pretend when we lie. We pretend when someone asks how we are doing and we answer, "fine." If we truly stopped pretending to be perfect, we would look outside ourselves more often. And the irony is, the more we realize how imperfect we are, the more compassion we have for others.
That is why the scripture says, "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." We are supposed to have problems. It's so that we will be humble. And when we are humble, we are teachable. And when we are teachable, we can get stronger. God doesn't magically take away our problems, but he knows how to help us subdue our demons. And we've all got 'em. So when your best friend pours his or her heart out to you, if you remember that you are screwed up too, you'll know exactly how to react.
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