One day when their grandmother was visiting, they decided to "play golf," which turned out to be their own made-up game with made-up rules because, let's face it, you can't hit a long, hard drive in your backyard without endangering your neighbor's abode. Grandma was the scorekeeper, and she wondered how this would work at all with big brother suddenly so much bigger, stronger, and more adept as a budding young golfer. It worked just fine.
Whenever little brother hit it "in the rough," big brother told him, "Go ahead and toss it out into the short grass. We won't count that stroke." And so little brother, while remaining behind in the scoring, was not so far behind that it discouraged him. Then big brother made a few excellent shots and found himself five or six points ahead (which is actually lower, you know) than his little brother. Suddenly, big brother was not playing quite as carefully, though not very noticeably so, and little brother caught up and made it a tie. The game went into "Sudden Death," as the brothers called it. Eventually, big brother won by 1. He was satisfied with his win and little brother was more than pleased with his showing and not a bit disappointed. After all, he had expected to lose to someone bigger, stronger, and more adept at golf.
But he never really noticed what his brother had done for him, and big brother kept it that way. No rubbing little brother's nose in his inability. No bragging about how much better he was. No taking this great opportunity to rout the weaker brother and enjoy stomping him in the dust. Just a quiet, humble way of serving his brother that encouraged and motivated him to try even harder.
And I am one proud Grandma.
We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me” Rom 15:1-3).
Dene Ward