People Let Us Down

Why do we feel so disappointed when people don’t live up to the expectations we have for them?

I heard a story this weekend about this very subject. Unfortunately, I was not there to see this “fall from grace”, so I only got the facts second hand. Basically, this person acted according their sinful nature. But I had placed this person under a microscope a while ago, and was subconsciously waiting for him/her to slip up. Isn’t that terrible? It was sport for me, in a way.

Looking back, I didn’t realize how much of a hater I was being (judgmental, critical, slanderous, etc.) My rationalization was that this person, being in a leadership role, should be acting close to perfect all the time. That’s fair, right?

Did I stop to think what might be going in his/her life? No. I was busy being shocked at how they had acted. I realize now, of course, that the person is just like me- a work in progress. It reminds me of watching my students do a drawing. Sometimes you make some good progress, it’s coming along well. I might notice that something doesn’t look right and needs to be fixed. But in order to fix what’s wrong, they have to go in with a big eraser and you will probably mess up part of what is good. Is it worth it to correct what is wrong if you might disturb other parts of what’s there? Yes! *If you build on something that isn’t right, it can get better, but the drawing will have a fundamental flaw. It can only be so good. Something I tell my students is that if you have done it once, you can do it again. Correct the problem and redo what was good from the beginning. (Not the best analogy, but it makes sense to me.)

*People are the same way. That’s why we need forgiveness- the biggest eraser of what’s wrong. Jesus died for all of us- teachers, car salesmen, pastors, landscapers, people that accept Jesus, and people that don’t.

I also know that when you step out in faith to do something for God’s kingdom, it makes you a bigger target for Satan to try to take down. I experienced this in my own life a couple of weeks ago. (Brokenness anyone?) I realize too that people probably put me under a microscope. Am I living a life that, as a Christ follower, other people can look too as an example? Obviously not. What kind of example is that to the people in my small group? While I was judging someone else’s spiritual journey, I was taking 2 steps back in my own.

So, what do we do when people let us down? The same thing Jesus does for us- forgive us our sins, love us where we are at, and extend us His grace.