Beware of BTDT

You know, arrogance/pride is a very subtle spirit...come with me as I explain.

A few months ago, God started warning me about the "Been there, done that" (BTDT) attitude. At that time, I couldn't understand why He was saying that - but I took it to heart and began to watch myself more closely.

 

Within the next couple of months, I understood what God was preparing me for. Over the years, my experiences which could be classified as "BTDT" really helped me develop a deep empathy for people in similar situations as I'd faced previously.

 

That depth was rooted in a passage the Holy Spirit led me to over 25 year ago.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 - ³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. ⁵ For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. (NIV - emphasis mine)



I had begun to notice that when I heard that people had suffered a loss, I was quick to "offer" myself since I'd BTDT. In fact, here's where arrogance started sneaking in... Without meaning to, I noticed that I started almost being certain about how others would feel - because that was how I felt at the time I lost a dear family member - or ever since. Then the next (downward) level that I felt coming, and had to catch myself before falling into it, was impatience and almost disdain.
I remember once thinking about someone who was recently bereaved and wondered why they  behaved the way they did. Then it struck me that the BTDT attitude was about to sting me... and the Holy Spirit clearly told me to "Beware of BTDT" - because it can be a deadly disease.

God takes through various experiences so we can be His heart towards others who go through the same experiences. We must never let a BTDT attitude make us arrogant. Beware of BTDT!