Remember This Fact When Dealing With Anyone

Ecclesiastes 7:20
Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

New International Version
Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins.

New Living Translation
Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins.

Contemporary English Version
No one in this world always does right. 

Good News Translation
There is no one on earth who does what is right all the time and never makes a mistake. 

The words of John Donne ring true even today, that, “no man is an island entire of itself, every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main…” Therefore no one can operate without others. If we must live with others, we must learn how to handle others. God’s judgment for eternal life or eternal loss, will be hinged on how we dealt with others, Matthew 25:40. The Bible is seriously concerned with how we deal with others. There are two relationships we must guard. Our relationship with God and our relationship with fellow human beings.

1 Samuel 2:26 tells us Samuel grew in favor with God and man. He grew up properly, he related well with God and with fellow human beings. Luke 2:52 tells us that Jesus grew in favor with God and man. Unless we focus on the two relationships, our life is not worth living. How is your relationship with God? How is your relationship with others?

Our focus today is on how we relate to human beings. The Bible has one reminder. Keep this in mind as you handle people around you. The fact is, even the best among us has some fault. Look at how the various translations and paraphrases of the Bible put it. It makes it clear. Do not expect perfection from anyone. Unless God makes you perfect, you cannot of your own be perfect. No one is perfect. Remember this fact when dealing with anyone!

If you expect perfection, you will be disappointed, not once and not twice but always. Even the best amongst us has glaring faults. Remember this fact when dealing with anyone!

If you demand perfection, you are demanding the impossible. You strain the relationship and achieve nothing in the end. Set the standards high but do not expect perfection. plan in detail but be ready for a possibility of a thing or two suddenly going wrong. It is a sinful world, nothing is perfect and no one is perfect. Remember this fact when dealing with anyone!

Romans 3:23
for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;

Apostle Paul does not mince his words on this fact of human nature. He writes that all have sinned and failed God. All including the best amongst us. All among the holiest amongst us. All including the pious amongst us. All have sinned and all have failed God. They have failed God not even you. Slow down your anger that you have been failed. God, Himself has been failed by all including you who is demanding too much from your fellow weak human beings. Unless God helps us, we are permanent irredeemable failures. No one is perfect or good enough. Remember this fact when dealing with anyone!

If all are prone to fail, be quick to forgive and correct. Do not be too harsh on people who can’t help but fail. Forgive and support. Remember this fact when dealing with anyone!

Since we are prone to failure, we will repeat the mistakes. Bear with second offenders and repeat offenders. Jesus talked of forgiving 70X7, Matthew 18:21-22. You too are prone to fail. You too are a repeat offender. Unless God helps us, we are unable to stop ourselves from sin, failure, and disappointing others. Remember this fact when dealing with anyone!

Your colleagues will fail you. Your business partners will fail you. Your classmates will fail you. Your spouse will disappoint you repeatedly. Your fiancee will cause you to think twice about future plans. Your children may wander off the road you expected of them. Your neighbors whom you had high hopes on will dash those hopes. Do not react like you did not know that you are like them and all are prone to failure. Even if you change the set of people around you or change the location, people will still fail you. Learn to bear with them as God bears with you. Remember this fact when dealing with anyone!

Since you fail and expect mercy, grant mercy to those who fail you. Since you fail and expect a second chance, grant a second chance to those who fail you. Since you expect others to understand your shortfalls and overlook them, learn to overlook the shortfalls of others. Remember this fact when dealing with anyone!

We are not saying that wrong should not be condemned. We are not saying that we shouldn’t aim high. We are not saying that overlook certain flaws that will definitely spell a doomed future. Even if you must punish or break up, do it with the understanding that you are not better off. Be polite and kind even to the erring, you will need it too, if not from human beings, you will need it from God. Remember this fact when dealing with anyone!

If you remember this fact, you will reduce the high turnover of workers. If you remember this fact you will reduce the high turnover of potential life partners. If you remember this fact, you will rectify issues in relationships rather than quarrel. If you remember this fact you will be a better parent. If you remember this fact, you will evangelize better, contribute in a better way to church boards, etc. If you remember this fact, you will not be stressed by what people do to you. Remember this fact when dealing with anyone!

Dear God, remind me of this fact every day of my life. May I have the wisdom to politely avoid dangerous people and to know who to deal with how. Save me from being stressed by people. May the people I deal with daily, find me as understanding as God expects me to be, in Jesus’ name, Amen!