As a confession, I’ve used terms in the past such as “weak people,” “needy people,” or whatever else. I had good intentions when doing this. But I recently caught notice of it. Such a phrase is an unintended mistake. It’s an inadvertent error. To say such implies the person isn’t strong enough to help themselves. This has led me to rebuke myself. Perhaps we all can relate… At the same time, may we validate ourselves in our intent. An ignorant mistake means making an error that you didn’t see coming. But perhaps this term is too harsh in this case… Perhaps the proper phrase is “honest mistake.”
So, what’s the point of writing this article? It’s to acknowledge this error and change our diction in a way that enforces our intent: helping the other person… So what’s the solution? The key is clear communication. We can catch ourselves from using these phrase, and then change the phrase. Or we can simply use direct talk in saying, “I meant that to help you out. I meant that because I respect you.” At the same time, actions speak louder than words. I have the joyful opportunity to use this ministry to do such. It’s through using these articles that I can express the message of authentic compassion. In all, that’s God’s attitude towards us: sincere compassion. And God hopes we all follow His perfect example.
So, we’ve clearly stated that we may make the mishap of calling others “weak people,” “needy people,” or whatever else. But the truth is the complete opposite. Those who struggle with mental health are not their mental illness. Those who fight cancer are not their cancer. Yes, they face difficulties that others may not understand. They face more pain than anyone else. But to call them “needy” or “weak” defeats the matter. It may be an unintended mistake, but a mistake nonetheless. If that’s you, I pray you can take that to heart.
With all that said, do you suffer from these ailments? This ministry, called the Millennial Spark, has covered the topic of self-expression. God is the one who tells us who we are. Of course, God sees us as precious, honored, and wonderfully made. And God has made us in a way that we can authentically help others with our talents and passions.
I say all this NOT to say we are defined by our skills, success, or whatever else. Far from it. We don’t need success to be ourselves. But I say all this out of reassurance and comfort. Our skills don’t define us, but it’s meant as a tool to express our authentic selves. To be authentic is a method we can use to care for others — and that’s enough. God doesn’t ask us to change (aside from sin). God says we are perfect as we are. I hope to stop using phrases such as “needy people,” “weak people,” and others. Again, these phrases are misleading. Are you enduring extreme difficulty? You are perfect as you authentically are. I pray that you find a way to tell the world of your authentic self.
God bless.
