It takes one to have the other

Inspired by Jason Mraz's song 'Life is Wonderful'. The words go along the lines of: 'It takes a crane to build a crane, it takes a hen to make an egg, it takes an egg to make a hen, it takes some silence to make sound, it takes a road to go nowhere, it takes a toll to make you care, it takes one to have the other.' Not in that order or anything, but the words are in there somewhere ;)

So the point is - it takes evil to know good, and hate to know love. If you have been through trials and have been hated or despised for one reason or the other, than you know love when you see it. Likewise, as it says somewhere in the bible (please, add the reference if you know, when I find it I will add it in) he how has been forgiven much will forgive much. When you know the love it takes for God and others to forgive you, how much easier then is it for you to forgive? I think it works the same in something that is personal to you. If you struggle with a particular sin for a long time, and only by God's grace and a lot of perseverance are you finally free, then you will see people that struggle with the same sin in a completely different light. Maybe this makes your ministry choice easier - to go somewhere you have been - and have come out the other side. Once your healing has begun, then you are able to help heal others.

On this note, I was listening to a preacher by the name of Kris Vallotton, who was talking about when Jesus approached the region of Gerasenes (in Mark ch 5) where a demon possessed man was causing trouble, and he cast the demons (named Legion, for they were many) into the herd of pigs, and the man was free. Jesus then left the region, because the herdsmen keeping the pigs were angry with him, and the former demon possessed man pleaded to go with him. Jesus declined, saying "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." In another words - he left the man to minister to the people - having only just been healed himself. What could this man possibly teach the people? Not about the laws and doctrines, not about faith or God - only what he had seen first hand. And Jesus didn't leave someone with him to teach him - he told him to go straight out and share what he knew. So there you go.