Let Me Get This Straight
Let me get this straight...rappers and comedians are hereby on notice to clean up their acts because a cranky old white man in a ridiculous hat lost his job??!!! Uh-huh... Could I see a show of hands?
That's what I thought.
I was commenting last week about a guy at work that rubs me the wrong way. Well, as God would have it -- and believe me, HE does -- we've been studying the book of 1 Peter in our Sunday School class while, at the same time, our pastor has been going verse by verse through Ephesians on Sunday evenings. As divine providence would have it, the study in Peter fell at the same time the Pastor was covering Ephesians 6:5-9, applying the passage to work relationships.
I have loved and hated it. I am encouraged as I see God working in my life; I've hated the "side" of me that this study has exposed. I have made a commitment--and with God's help I will succeed--to not allow this man or anyone else or any circumstance dictate how I feel or how I respond to others. So far, God has been very gracious; the past week has been much less stressful. He has given me MULTIPLE opportunities to speak and act kindly when my more human tendency would be to lash out. ("Count it all joy when you face trials of variuos kinds...") My wife has even noticed a difference.
I'm not naive enough to think I've got this thing licked, but so far, it's been a good start.
2 comments:
That's so cool! I love to see God at work. And hey...
1 John 2:29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who PRACTICES righteousness is born of Him.
1 John 3:7 Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who PRACTICES righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;
Gal 6:8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
2 Cor 9:10 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness;
Baxter:
It's been very interesting to watch this guy as I continue to show him kindness, in spite of his cutting or derogatory remarks. I've actually started to see somewhat of a change in him. "My Word will not return to me void..." in action!
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