Jesus and His 12 Idiots

I was talking the other day with a sweet lady who feels out of place at her work. Her co-workers are not as mature as she is, they act goofy, she feels like they don’t like her because she’s not like them, but at the same time she doesn’t particularly like them because they’re different from her. You get the picture. She wanted help with how to get along better at work. 

I like to use stories and examples when I teach. I told her that we have to be like Jesus. She rolled her eyes at me and I said, “No, listen. We ARE supposed to try to be more like Jesus, but I mean in a kindof different way. Jesus was the ultimate in old soul, mature, perfect person, right? And he was surrounded by just plain humans. He hand picked 12 to be with him night and day who were not always the brightest crayons in the bunch. Sometimes when I read the stories of their foibles I wonder if Jesus ever shook his head like Scar in The Lion King and said, ‘I’m surrounded by idiots.’ If he did, he didn’t let on, and he loved them and accepted them anyway.” 

She thought that was pretty funny and maybe a little irreverent calling the disciples “idiots.” But it worked. I also used the example of myself and my husband. He drives me crazy on the regular. If I was to focus on all the things he does (or doesn’t do) that irritate and aggravate me, we probably wouldn’t still be married. But those things aren’t what’s important. I have to focus on the good things about him and accept him for who and what he is. Foibles and all. Likewise, he has to focus on the good things about me instead of the things I do that drive him crazy. 

That’s how it is with people and life. There is nobody in the world exactly like us. If there was, that person would also probably drive us crazy. We have to accept those brought into our lives for their good parts and their bad parts and love them anyway. Even when they’re “idiots.”