A friend and I were at a campfire, suddenly we saw a snake come out of the flames wiggling in pain. My friend reached into the flames and pulled out the snake to save it and when he did it bit his hand. My friends reaction was to shake the snake loose and when he did it fell back into the fire. He immediately reached back into the fire to pluck it out again and it bit him again. He shook the snake free only to see it fall back into the fire. As he started to reach out once again to pull the snake from of the fire I called out to him, " Hey don't be a fool for a third time, if it bit you the 1st two times it will bite you again".
His respond stopped me in my tracks. He said " Just because the nature of the snake is to bite me, that doesn't mean that I will alter my nature, which is to help". With that he picked up a stick and reached in to finally pull out and free the snake from the fire and certain death.
The moral is simple: Don't allow the negative nature of some or all of those around you to change the positive nature that God has given you to share with all. Nothing wrong with being smart ( i.e. Use a stick), but help, save, support, encourage, and strengthen those around you regardless of their actions or reactions. Focus more on who you are and who you represent than what others may say or think about you….