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Monday, September 12, 2005
Good vs. Better
There are some traits we admire in people that are all very good traits to admire in people.
My mom is a very sweet lady (and, frankly, able to take a joke, too, as she's put up with all my "Charlotte The Scar" barbs for about a decade now).
My dad was very laid-back...you couldn't ruffle his feathers.
My grandfather was a very successful professional.
My grandmother was generous.
My paternal grandmother was very hospitable.
My paternal grandfather was a hard-worker and an enterpreneur.
My boss is a deep thinker.
My other boss is consistent.
My co-workers are diligent, passionate, capable, gifted, and enjoyable to work with.
My best friend in high school was hysterically funny.
My wife is pretty and smart.
My kids are intelligent and joyful, and pretty polite.
The guy at the car place today was courteous.
I have some teenagers that have shown great compassion lately.
I could go on and on...you should get the point by now.
There's a lot of good things to see in people. If you look with any depth at all, you should be able to find something admirable in pretty much every person you meet. Good things in people.
And, since some people are Christians, you could find some good things in them, too.
And you should...
Check out Colossians 3:12--14:
"So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humilty, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And, regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it." (from The Message)
So, let's be honest. We all care what people think about us and what they see in us...our "wardrobe" as Dr. Peterson puts it.
Who wouldn't like to be seen as compassionate?
Who wouldn't like to be known as kind?
Who wouldn't like to be referred to as humble?
Who doesn't want an inner, quiet strength?
We all want a little more discipline in our lives, right?
Even tempered is good, right?
Being content with 2nd place...maybe being a little less competitive than we are is actually a breath of fresh air, right?
We'd all want to be a little more forgiving...especially since Christ forgave us so readily, right?
In fact, those all sound like a pretty good ad for church, don't they? "Hey, come see all the compassionate, kind, humble folks at Our Church!"
But, oddly enough, those admirable traits are all secondary to...
...love.
The highest of ideals.
The noblest of goals.
In fact, Christ never said anything like, "They will know you are mine by what 'clothes' you put on, and they should see good discipine, quiet strength and void of competitive spirit." Or, "They'll know you know me by how quickly you forgive your neighbor."
Nope...he said, "By this they'll know that you belong to Me: That you LOVE one another."
So, for today, how much do you think we strive to enhance the "wardrobe" we wear rather than the heart underneath those clothes? What do you see the Christian community being known for these days? Should that focus change, and if so, how?
Brent 9:03 AM
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