Happy New Year everyone! With the turn of this new year, I feel reinvigorated and filled with fervor. I’m expecting great things in 2015 and pray you are all filled with that same hope!
As we look ahead at the new year, let us focus on seeing the virtue in others instead of their flaws. Virtue, as defined, is a habitual and firm disposition to do good. Can you imagine if we all chose to see past the human nature of others and see the goodness instilled in them instead? Often when we approach others we are expecting for them to let us down in some way. We’ve been hurt, so we put up a spiritual strong-arm to keep them away from the depths of our heart, as we wait in great fear that we might be hurt again. Fear is NOT of the Lord. Cast it out. Instead of expecting ugly, expect beauty – in terms of the character that pours out from others. Choose to approach people differently this year.
What if you chose to look past the flaws and negative traits you see in others and go straight to their virtues? Concentrate only on the goodness that emanates from within their heart, even if you feel there’s barely any there. No matter what, it’s there, some hearts may need more shining and dusting off to do than others, but surely there is at least a speck of goodness in each of us.
Seeing virtues first will allow you the opportunity to love that person first. Build yourselves up in love and forgive quickly.
I know now that true charity consists in bearing all our neighbors’ defects not being surprised at their weakness, but edified at their smallest virtues.
~St. Therese of Lisieux~
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I was reading this week about how people often have difficulty forgiving, or looking past other’s flaws because we don’t forgive as God does. We don’t understand sometimes that when he forgives, your slate really is clean. He forgets about the past and makes us new, brand new! He looks ahead. Sometimes we feel like we can never make up for past mistakes. But we are looking at it all wrong. We just need to be truly sorry. Then ask for God’s forgiveness, accept it, and move on, as a new person. If only we could do that with others; forgive as God does. I am recognizing this in myself, and working on forgetting other’s past failings, looking inside, and seeing the goodness in others’ hearts (as you say).
Fear is NOT of the Lord. The the readings of the past week Wednesday, 01,07 this was the message. In 1JN 4:18, which was the final verse of the first reading summed this up pretty well. It states, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.” I found your writing to be in parallel with this reading and wanted to share.
Thanks!