Get Rid of the Poison Within

A man went to his father and said: “Father, I can't take it anymore. My wife is driving me insane! I want to kill her, but I'm afraid someone might find out I did it. Please help me.” The father replied, “Yes, I can help you, but you're going to have to make amends with her so that no one will suspect that it was you when she dies. You'll have to take very good care of her, be kind, grateful, patient, caring, less selfish, listen more, and help her with chores. You see this powder here? Every day you have to put a little in her food so she dies slowly.
 
Thirty days had passed and the son came back and said to his father, “I don't want her to die. I have come to love her. And now…how do I stop the effect of the poison?” The father said, “Don't worry. What I gave you was rice powder. She's not going to die; the poison was in you!”
 
Jesus once said, “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12). When we feed grudges and are constantly critical, our love for one another slowly dies. When we make peace with ourselves and we are kind to those around us, not only will we grow to love others more, but they will treat us better. Rather than always think we have to win or be served or exploit other people before they take advantage of us, Jesus would have us take the initiative to love, to be generous, to serve and to care for.
 
The apostle Paul wrote, “Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:17-18). We all need to stop and pray that we are being part of the solution, not part of the problem.
 
You’ve got this!
Tyler

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