"...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control....If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us have no self conceit, no provoking of one another, no envy of one another" Galatians 5:21-26
Yesterday a friend told me about a time he was the "near" victim of "road rage." My friends car had stalled on a busy street and cars were backed up behind him. He tried to start his car again and again but it wouldn't start. Soon horns began to blow. Then my friend saw the man in the car behind him approach his vehicle, so my friend rolled down his window so he could explain to the angry driver what the problem was. But as the angry driver approached my friend's car, his fist was tightly clenched. Obviously the angry driver's intent was to punch my friend in the face. But when he saw my friend, he suddenly stopped and said, "Oh hi, Jim! It's you!" Then he dropped his arm, and with a reddened face went back to his own vehicle. The angry driver was one of Jim's coworkers.
As was the case in this story, our attitudes can suddenly become very nasty and show a side of us that is not very nice. But do we think about that when we are angry or frustrated with someone? Too often we express our anger with words or sighs or body language which show our impatience and unpleasant attitude. Where is our empathy? Where is our patience? Where is our kindness? How would we feel if the tables were turned and we were the brunt of someone's anger - often caused by misunderstanding. If you have to wait a little longer in a checkout line or at a stop light, what do a few minutes mean in the time of an entire day? Will your anger speak more loudly than the Spirit of Christ within you? Will the way you handle a confrontation or squabble display the fruits of the Spirit of Christ which are: patience, kindness, goodness and forgiveness?
Your witness is a fragile thing. Don't destroy it today by a wrong attitude or action.
Yesterday a friend told me about a time he was the "near" victim of "road rage." My friends car had stalled on a busy street and cars were backed up behind him. He tried to start his car again and again but it wouldn't start. Soon horns began to blow. Then my friend saw the man in the car behind him approach his vehicle, so my friend rolled down his window so he could explain to the angry driver what the problem was. But as the angry driver approached my friend's car, his fist was tightly clenched. Obviously the angry driver's intent was to punch my friend in the face. But when he saw my friend, he suddenly stopped and said, "Oh hi, Jim! It's you!" Then he dropped his arm, and with a reddened face went back to his own vehicle. The angry driver was one of Jim's coworkers.
As was the case in this story, our attitudes can suddenly become very nasty and show a side of us that is not very nice. But do we think about that when we are angry or frustrated with someone? Too often we express our anger with words or sighs or body language which show our impatience and unpleasant attitude. Where is our empathy? Where is our patience? Where is our kindness? How would we feel if the tables were turned and we were the brunt of someone's anger - often caused by misunderstanding. If you have to wait a little longer in a checkout line or at a stop light, what do a few minutes mean in the time of an entire day? Will your anger speak more loudly than the Spirit of Christ within you? Will the way you handle a confrontation or squabble display the fruits of the Spirit of Christ which are: patience, kindness, goodness and forgiveness?
Your witness is a fragile thing. Don't destroy it today by a wrong attitude or action.
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