Tolerance

What causes a person to be intolerant of opinions that differ from theirs? What is the driving force behind their need for all to agree with them. What causes them to be angry, bitter, defensive and to strike out at those with differing opinions?

In my own experience, both from myself personally and from living with one who at one time was very intolerant, opinionated, dogmatic and harsh; it is a problem with many angles.

I was fearful that if you didn't agree with me, then you didn't like me. I was not secure in some of my opinions and I needed your approval/agreement in order to feel right about what my opinion. I also believed that on some issues, I was right and you were stupid to not believe the way I did. I suppose I wanted a copy cat world, where everyone believed the same thing. How boring!

Getting to know myself has helped me tremendously in this area. Today, I still don't know all I need to know in order to be well informed on some subjects. My opinions are still based on the opinions of others--some I know and respect, some I just trust to know what they are talking about. Some areas are still a bit grey for me.

But learning these things about myself, and accepting that I am who I am, a person of worth, a person who is unique in my own way--opens the door for me to accept others who are different. I realize that a different opinion isn't threatening to me. I respect that other's have a different view on certain things, a slightly different slant on how they interpret things. I may not always remember this; I may still find myself thinking that it is all about me. But it isn't. It's not even all about us. It's all about God.

God showers us with grace daily. There are so many blessings that we neither earn or deserve. With all these blessings, how can I now treat others with and in grace? How can I set myself as the authority on all things, or even just some things. I am but finite woman-limited knowledge, limited abilities. Who am I to judge another?

It is only when I come to see myself as who I truly am, can I humble myself enough to realize that I am not judge and jury, except over my own life. My life is the only life I have the right to judge or critique. And even that right is best done under the power of God's spirit, leading and guiding me into the truths I seek.

When I finally turned my will and life over to God, many wonderful things began to happen within me. I began to see that new creature that the Bible speaks of upon conversion. I know there are more transformations to come as I grow in the Lord.

God, help me to treat my fellow man as I would want to be treated.

Klara