Thursday, September 3, 2009

Selfish people live sorry Lives

I recently bumped into someone (physically) on my way out of a store. I turned around and said "Sorry" while biting my bottem lip. The face glowered back at me! It was an accident, I was distracted. I didn't do it on purpose I was just in a hurry and juggleing a purse and hot coffee as I focused on my exit. I think we've all been preoccupied from time to time,lost in our own thoughts. It is a natural response to the way we have been conditioned in a fast paced,you snooze you loose society.

Well. the polite way to go beyond the offense is to offer an apology for rude or inconsiderate behavior. But what of those people around us that have adopted an apologetic lifestyle. You know, the friend who is always late, the co-worker that fails to help with their share of respondsibility, the spouse that excuses missed occasions with a to busy calander. Or the family member who just had to put their critisism of you out there in front of others. They all have the same response to disappointing you or making you out as a party to the injury! I'M SORRY! As if it will magically remove them from their selfish action against you.

Maybe As you read this YOU are the one always throwing an apology at some situation to get yourself off the hook quickly. There is a pattern to test yourself with, Do you start with I'm sorry but... or perhaps, I'm sorry I needed... or maybe I'm sorry it's just that.... all this really points to is that you or the offender seek to excuse bad behavior instead of change it! That is the center of selfishness. Seeking your own interests above anothers.

In the book of Proverbs the 28th chapter the 25 & 26 verses it says this; "Selfish people cause trouble, but you will live a long life if you trust the Lord. Only fools would trust what they alone think, but if you live by wisdom you will do all right."(cev)

People who cause trouble are always saying they are sorry. Let me repeat myself, people who cause trouble are always saying they are sorry! People who want to stop causing trouble REPENT! They ask forgiveness from those they have offended, they forgive themselves by confessing their respondsibility to the offense & they recieve forgiveness from God by way of Jesus, The Holy Spirit allows them freedom to turn around their thought life toward a Christ centered WAY of thinking. That is WISDOM!!!!

Living a Spirit led life means not focusing on your own agenda, or schematic , or reason! It means living out each thought with the ambition of bringing God glory and praise. What a man thinks, so he is. If you think of Gods love for you, you can love others. If you think of His kindness towards you, you can be kind to others . If you think of His goodness and mercy toward you, you will become good and merciful to others. It is by bringing His thoughts not ours into our minds and actions that produce the life Christ died to give us. An abundant life filled with hope and joy. Not one we will be "Sorry " for !

Sorry is for small children learning from mistakes. We need to be reminded to grow up to the full stature of Christ as mature men and women! Next time you look to remedy a situation, ask yourself and God what in you must be made right to achieve a mind set that will glorify Him. How can you turn your thinking into a God way instead of a my way highway. Remember most road accidents happen because we are careless or lost in our own thoughts! We choose to make a call on the cell phone, we choose to drive when tired or distracted. Then who is SORRY! Being thoughtful of others will cause us to sacrifice our own selfish desire to get what we want when we want it. It will cost us to regard others as equally important. It will create in us an awareness of consequences to our actions that will help us remember to ask The Holy spirit to guide us and renew us. And again I say to you(v. 25) "you will live a long life if you trust the Lord!"

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