Tolerance Reflects Our Level Of Love More Than High Standards

Common Sense Commentary:


What we will tolerate, and from whom, is nearly always determined by our relationship with the offending person. Most of us are guilty of "Respect of Persons" when it comes to our tolerance levels. Most parents will tolerate behavior in their "little angel" which they abhor in the "little devil" next door. It's disgusting in someone we don't like, tolerated in a neighbor,
smiled at in a friend, and applauded when "little angel" does it. That's how little angels get
to be ....... Big Devils .

Denominations and political parties often wave their "big tent" banners among themselves, whose flaws they love to overlook or snicker about, but beat their opposites over the head, for doing the same things, with unbelievable extremes of hypocrisy. That is often true in other competing entities as well.

It seems to be an inborn characteristic of our depraved human nature to discriminate unfairly and be partial, forgiving and understanding, and not even know it, when it is one of our own kind doing something bad. But we see sin and partiality much more clearly when its someone of a different tribe doing the same thing.

I used to lead tours,from the church I pastored, every two or three years. It saved a lot of money to have two in a room so I would usually enlist a preacher or friend to be my room mate. One year, another pastor was going with us so we were to sleep in the same room.It was a long tiring flight from Florida to Tel Avive, about thirty hours with delays and weather.By the time we landed, and spent that whole day touring holy sites, we were all dead tired so we hit our beds early. Within a few minutes I knew I was going to have a long, long sleepless week. That Brother snored so loudly and in so many tunes, in bass, tenor, alto and soprano,that I tried every way I could think of to stop up my ears. I had forgotten earplugs so I stuffed toilet paper in my ears , then tied a towel around that , then buried my head under three pillows and almost suffocated into unconsciousness, but no sleep. I finally took my blanket and jerked one off his bed and went out on the balcony and closed the sliding door. I didn't sleep much out in the cold with dogs barking and roosters crowing, but at least it was peaceful. That man's snoring was the most nerve wracking and intolerable noise, in the dark of night you can imagine, and I got very few hours of sleep the whole week. Intolerant ? You bet !

Two years later, my own precious seventy year old, farmer father was my room mate on the same trip. His snoring was every bit as talented as that other guy, but there was one difference.I so loved my "Daddy", whom I seldom got to be with, that his snoring, in perfect, soothing harmony, was as sweet and comforting to me as a choir of angels. My tolerance of Dad's snoring was so complete that it actually kinda floated me off toward dreamland. I actually enjoyed it and for a couple of nights forced myself to stay awake, pleasantly resting in his presence. I kissed him on his bald head and introduced him as my sandman at breakfast.

I'm sure NOBODIES snoring would be anything but horrible, certainly not pleasant, on an every night basis. God bless you poor, faithful, tolerant wives who have to listen to that all the time. But it isn't just the guys that snore ..... uh that's what I've been told ....uh ...I can only imagine ...I'm glad I never had that problem with my sweet wife. But I wouldn't take anything for the good memories I have of Dad and Mom and our family growing up. They are both gone now ...and I do miss them so. The fact is, they tolerated far far more from me that I ever did from them.

The truth is, it isn't just unfair to maintain a double standard, judging or criticizing things in others which we don't mind and tolerate in those we know or love. Actually, God's Word says it is wrong to be a Respecter of Persons. He brings the subject up eight times in His Book and rebukes it. I'll just quote one of them .... "My brethren, have not the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of Glory with respect of persons." James 2:1. Impartiality Is another trait of our Lord He wants us to embrace. He loves us in spite of our "Respect of Persons", but wants us to yield it unto Him and prune it out of our lives to be more Christ like. Don't get me wrong, I know that God expects us and wants us to have a degree of loyalty and commitment to our very own family that we can't possibly have to others, but it can be a spiritual hindrance when it is too far out of balance. I'll do a blog soon on "Respect of Persons".

Pass It On. RB