On'ry and Mean

Have you ever heard a kids say to another kid, "Sticks and stone can break my bones but words can never hurt me?"

There is wisdom in that statement. But the person that first coined that phrase either lived on a deserted island all alone or they were the toughest and meanest person that has ever lived. And I don't know about you but in my life the hurts that were the worst were the ones that came from the words spoken by others. And if you know me, you know when I get backed into a corner I will fight back, meaner than ever. 

Have you ever been in an argument with someone where you KNEW you were right and they were wrong? At the very least you could make a very good case for your side of the argument. We all suffer from this from time to time. And how we have an almost burning need to state our point and be proven right. It is like the inner Perry Mason stands up and pleads our case for us. We feel this desperate need to defend our rights and get the person we are arguing with to see things our way, often at all costs. Sound pretty close?

I am sure that everyone can relate to feeling this way, but feeling this way doesn't always make you right and it isn't always good. 

Colossians 2:6-7 says, "Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." 

What Paul is trying to say here is that we should be rooted and living in Jesus' teaching everyday. We should be like a cup overflowing with water in the way we relate our thankfulness. The exact opposite happens when I live in my self-centered opinions and all I do is grumble and complain. I need to look at the world through God's eyes and allow Him to show me how to see things from His side, ultimately living with a different perspective. 

My job isn't to fix the person that I am arguing with or make them think like I do. My job, the only job, is to obey God by offering an extension of the forgiveness and grace that was freely given to me. And going along that same line I need to remember that forgiving a person doesn't mean giving them access to my life. 

Colossians 3:17 says, "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." What Paul is trying to say is that everything we do reflects on who we say we are and who we say we serve. If I act in anger, I give in to the flesh and allow the enemy to gain a foothold in my life. But if I honor God with my actions and reactions, then, I further the kingdom. At the end of the day honoring God with our obedience leads to good things. Anything else leads to confusion. 

I am the world's worst about allowing my emotions to run rampant and unchecked. The things that Paul is asking us to do isn't easy by any means. But I promise that when you live out these Biblical principles you will be able to see things from another perspective and you won't find yourself feeling so on'ry and mean.