I used to be proud to be cynical... Until today. The problem is that we're all in a world that denies that they have a conclusion about someone before they actually meet them up front. It works both ways. We can have a good outlook on a person, and chances are we become disappointed when they fail the standards we expected them to meet. When we have a bad outlook of a person, they can actually turn out to be your true friends once you really get to know them. Still, it seems as if it goes straight to our ego if what we initially thought of a person jives with what we observe when we meet or speak with them for the first time. We're ultimately feeding that pipe-dream that we can actually be better than someone else, even if we are aware that God creates us all equally, despite all the visible circumstances that we have.
Now I'm not blaming the world for making me who I am, because we all know that the bad situations we have in our lives are there ultimately because somewhere, somewhen, somehow, we made the wrong choice, the wrong reaction to something. In my case I simply dwelled on what comments were flung at me during that somewhen, to the point that I became too self-conscious to do certain things on my own, and I became overly critical towards people who seemed to do things just for attention. When things do not go my way, I tend to be more bitter. When what I expect does not come, I tend to be insistent under the guise of being 'persistent', and when truth comes into play, I am devastated. This has been true especially in the past few days.
You know that saying that if you seek, you would find? Well, I thank God once again for the great messages He has for all of us in His Word. See, we don't need to exert any significant effort to be at peace with all those around us. I mean, we could be friendly and all that, but does that really help us inside when everyone walks away?
The Word tells us on what to concentrate on.
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
- Philippians 4:8
Mind you, I've seen how this was demonstrated during our overnight prayer meetings. See, there are those particular times when a person comes in with abject bitterness in his or her heart (and I was one of them at one point), and their prayer requests sound off. There was that one time that one pastor's wife went ahead and held out from praying, and asked this one particular person to speak out blessings toward the person she was at odds with. You can tell from the lady's declarations that it was extremely hard for her to let go of the bitterness that seemed to enslave her... But slowly, and surely, with each blessing she spoke for the man she had problems with, she was a step closer and closer to the peace of God that Paul, the apostle, promised us (Philippians 4:9).
A few moments ago I tried that for myself, and the peace that was guaranteed arrived, and will keep coming back as I keep setting this habit into stone. I praise God for all that happens in my life because once again, everything happens for the good of those who love God (Romans 8:12). What happened during New Year's Eve was used for good.
Try it yourself. Is there someone in your life that you feel bad about? Try to see the things in this person that you can praise God for. Take note of the difference. You're not appreciating the person, you're appreciating God for the person. God loves this person as much as He loves you.
If you have a lot on your list of people you'd rather not associate with, you've got a lot of praising to do.
I praise God for you, dear reader.
Now I'm not blaming the world for making me who I am, because we all know that the bad situations we have in our lives are there ultimately because somewhere, somewhen, somehow, we made the wrong choice, the wrong reaction to something. In my case I simply dwelled on what comments were flung at me during that somewhen, to the point that I became too self-conscious to do certain things on my own, and I became overly critical towards people who seemed to do things just for attention. When things do not go my way, I tend to be more bitter. When what I expect does not come, I tend to be insistent under the guise of being 'persistent', and when truth comes into play, I am devastated. This has been true especially in the past few days.
You know that saying that if you seek, you would find? Well, I thank God once again for the great messages He has for all of us in His Word. See, we don't need to exert any significant effort to be at peace with all those around us. I mean, we could be friendly and all that, but does that really help us inside when everyone walks away?
The Word tells us on what to concentrate on.
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
- Philippians 4:8
Mind you, I've seen how this was demonstrated during our overnight prayer meetings. See, there are those particular times when a person comes in with abject bitterness in his or her heart (and I was one of them at one point), and their prayer requests sound off. There was that one time that one pastor's wife went ahead and held out from praying, and asked this one particular person to speak out blessings toward the person she was at odds with. You can tell from the lady's declarations that it was extremely hard for her to let go of the bitterness that seemed to enslave her... But slowly, and surely, with each blessing she spoke for the man she had problems with, she was a step closer and closer to the peace of God that Paul, the apostle, promised us (Philippians 4:9).
A few moments ago I tried that for myself, and the peace that was guaranteed arrived, and will keep coming back as I keep setting this habit into stone. I praise God for all that happens in my life because once again, everything happens for the good of those who love God (Romans 8:12). What happened during New Year's Eve was used for good.
Try it yourself. Is there someone in your life that you feel bad about? Try to see the things in this person that you can praise God for. Take note of the difference. You're not appreciating the person, you're appreciating God for the person. God loves this person as much as He loves you.
If you have a lot on your list of people you'd rather not associate with, you've got a lot of praising to do.
I praise God for you, dear reader.