Kindness demands an enormous amount of self-control, especially when the circumstance is one that would more easily guide emotion and attitude toward bitterness or anger. When it comes easily, things are good; like finding your arms, hands and fingers after steering a car with your teeth.
So, is there ever a reason to be unkind? Sure there are, but are they good ones? All things considered? The principle of kindness is such a comfort to hold onto when a relational compass is sought. It makes a choice simple in its direction toward a certain attitude; even if kindness itself isn't reached, at least its opposites are left behind. Life is good when direction is chosen, when chaos in attitude is solved and replaced with whether or not to be courageous in the pursuit of what is good.
"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."
-Ephesians 4:31-32
Not a bad place to be
Thursday, November 5, 2009
at
1:47 AM
"For if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's."
-Romans 14:8
Truth is incredible; it is always a welcome guest because it does not change depending on perspective. Every imaginable thing of life between birth and death fits neatly into the borders painted by the truth above. How can such a complex mess fit into such a simple box? God's ways are more than very high above ours, but His truths are simple, because we don't confuse him. Most of the mess is messy because I don't recognize its relation to truth; it becomes unknowable and chaotic when the point of reference is ignored.
Faithfulness is a strong rope that links the messes of life to truth; knowing it and living it brings the truth of life into focus, moving the doer from being into living. Doing those little things right clears away grime in surprising amounts.
-Romans 14:8
Truth is incredible; it is always a welcome guest because it does not change depending on perspective. Every imaginable thing of life between birth and death fits neatly into the borders painted by the truth above. How can such a complex mess fit into such a simple box? God's ways are more than very high above ours, but His truths are simple, because we don't confuse him. Most of the mess is messy because I don't recognize its relation to truth; it becomes unknowable and chaotic when the point of reference is ignored.
Faithfulness is a strong rope that links the messes of life to truth; knowing it and living it brings the truth of life into focus, moving the doer from being into living. Doing those little things right clears away grime in surprising amounts.
|
0
comments
|
Oi, the sneakiness
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
at
1:12 AM
"All virtues are especially helpful to evil when one becomes aware of them. This is especially true of humility."
-C.S. Lewis in The Screwtape Letters
Me: Laadidaaa, blahblah...thought pops in for a visit: "Hey, I totally just avoided getting mad at that guy for responding to my American style greeting with a cold stare. I am one huuumble duuude." Fail.
Me later: mpa, mpa, chillin in the empty thought box in my head. Boom! Important thought alert! "Hey, I should pray for my friend who needs that important thing." +0.389 seconds..."I'm preetty good for feeling the need to pray for that. OH LOOK, a butterfly. That reminds me, I'm hungry." Ugh, FAIL.
Beware of the sneakiness, I urge you.
"Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man."
-Proverbs 3:3-4
-C.S. Lewis in The Screwtape Letters
Me: Laadidaaa, blahblah...thought pops in for a visit: "Hey, I totally just avoided getting mad at that guy for responding to my American style greeting with a cold stare. I am one huuumble duuude." Fail.
Me later: mpa, mpa, chillin in the empty thought box in my head. Boom! Important thought alert! "Hey, I should pray for my friend who needs that important thing." +0.389 seconds..."I'm preetty good for feeling the need to pray for that. OH LOOK, a butterfly. That reminds me, I'm hungry." Ugh, FAIL.
Beware of the sneakiness, I urge you.
"Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man."
-Proverbs 3:3-4
|
1 comments
|
Flowers are....useful?
at
12:09 AM
Giving a girl flowers is funny. She can't eat them, and she won't use them to build anything. There is very little tangible benefit from receiving them, but there's value if she chooses that to be the case. The flowers will be almost meaningless if she doesn't at the time feel a positive intention behind the one giving them; they're something given whose value depends very much on how the receiver recognizes the giver.
Encouragement is like flowers, except you can give it to guys too without causing a panic. Plus it's way cheaper; win-win! It doesn't cost the giver anything, and it can mean as many good things as the receiver needs it to mean. It is a precious thing indeed to become someone fully alive whose encouragement always feels like a sweet gift when it is received; what a great aim, to strive to be that which gives the gift the intentioned meaning it deserves. Nothing but good can follow.
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house."
-Matthew 5:14-15
Encouragement is like flowers, except you can give it to guys too without causing a panic. Plus it's way cheaper; win-win! It doesn't cost the giver anything, and it can mean as many good things as the receiver needs it to mean. It is a precious thing indeed to become someone fully alive whose encouragement always feels like a sweet gift when it is received; what a great aim, to strive to be that which gives the gift the intentioned meaning it deserves. Nothing but good can follow.
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house."
-Matthew 5:14-15
|
0
comments
|
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)