My Prayer List for My Children – Tolerance

Greetings Dear Reader,

For me this is a word that has shifted greatly in meaning over the years.  Tolerance is often touted in society as being accepting of anything regardless of my personal values and beliefs.  That is something I cannot abide.  Tolerance also means that I am willing to respect the practices of others.  That I work to do more as I realize how important it is to following Christ.

I want to be accepting and loving of others.  I will not abandon the standards that I must have if I am to be other things that Christ wishes me to be.  Society increasingly says that I must accept certain things in order to be considered tolerant.  The tolerances of following have limitations. 

I must love everyone and I wish to do that.  Not accepting things as right that are clearly wrong does not make me intolerant.  I must accept every person.  I am not required to accept every attitude, belief, or action.  The great lie is that it is assumed that if I do not do the latter then I cannot do the former. 

Tolerance is something that speaks to my own pride and selfishness not the standards set down by God.  I must esteem others to the point that I will lay aside my wants and self-interest for the benefit of others.  It means that I need to prefer others in a spirit of love that is engendered by Christ and his love for them.  I must tolerate the differences that I dislike not by just putting up with them.  That would still be selfish and self-centered.  Tolerance must flow from my love for others.  It must be me laying aside self for the sake of loving others.

I pray that I am tolerant of others in the way that Christ wishes me to be tolerant.  I pray that my children always know and live this brand of tolerance.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store”