Yesterday was one of those days when nothing seems to go smoothly. I drove into McDonald’s looking for a drink. The line of cars was so long that I pulled out to go somewhere else. Then I went to our favorite bagel shop to get my favorite bagel. The bagel was a disappointment on this day as it wasn’t well made and was less tasty. Then I headed to one of my favorite trails for a walk, only to find that it was blocked for fire department training.
Admittedly, these are all only minor irritations. One by one they didn’t affect me very much, but after a while the cumulative impact of these and other irritations disturbed me. I began to focus on the things going wrong rather than the good that could come from them. Rather than passing on my irritations to others, I had the opportunity to love and build them up. Rather than focusing on my petty inconvenience I could try to bless someone else with kindness.
Ephesians 4:31-32 says, “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, tender hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” We can break the cycle of anger production by remembering how God has forgiven us. This will enable us by His Spirit to forgive others who might irritate us during our day. His power will develop tender hearts and kindness in us. When we keep our eyes on Jesus in this way, our focus is no longer on the inconveniences that irritate us and we can move forward in love.
Reluctant Retiree 