“Just for today I will be agreeable. I will look as well as I can, dress becomingly, speak diplomatically, act courteously, be liberal with praise, criticise not one bit, not find fault with anything, and not try to regulate or improve anybody except myself. Just for today I will have a program, I will write down what I expect to do each day. I may not follow it exactly, but I will have it. I will save myself from two pests: hurry and indecision”.
I used to be indecisive, now I’m not so sure! I imagine you have heard that before but it always makes me smile. I feel I have made progress in knowing which decisions are right to make, with Gods help of course, through prayer, my gut instinct and my conscience, God is able to guide me. As for hurry, I certainly live my life with more serenity these days compared to the whirlwind it used to be when I thought the world would stop revolving without my efforts, so in those areas I feel I am progressing. However, some of the other suggestions are a real stumbling block for me.
Although God is helping me to change, I can so easily slip back into my old habits of grumbling, nit-picking, criticising, opening my mouth directly to put my foot in it and thinking people should see things my way. I recognise my behaviour but I am still a slow learner (better than a quick forgetter I guess).
This Lent a friend of mine gave up complaining, to me that seemed a fantastic idea, a far better way to become more Christ-like than giving up chocolate. If we really want to change those patterns of behaviour we know are hindering us, his spirit will help us.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.
Romans 12:1-3 [NIV]
I heard a story at New Wine about a woman who continually complained about the seating, the chairs were too close together, too hard, too uncomfortable, too far back to see, in her opinion she was not sitting comfortably. The chap sitting next to her, on hearing her dissatisfaction, made a suggestion. He had a male friend sitting on the end of that row who he felt sure would be more than happy to swap seats. As the dissatisfied lady looked towards the end of the row she saw a gentleman looking back and smiling, he was sitting in his wheelchair.
Lord, if I cannot speak words of love, help me to keep my mouth shut.
