I wasn’t exactly mad…but frustrated, and I began to have an excellent conversation with myself (in my head), concerning the many ways that I was right,<\/i> and he was wrong.<\/i> This (self-exalting) mind-speak led to some ideas of how I might proceed with him concerning this matter, and more specifically, what I should do<\/i> to show him how I felt about it.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Freeze.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. (2)<\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/span>The evening meal was in progress\u2026 (3)<\/span> <\/span><\/span>Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; (4)<\/span> <\/span><\/span>so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. (5)<\/span> <\/span><\/span>After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples\u2019 feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him\u2026 <\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n (12)<\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/span>When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. \u201cDo you understand what I have done for you?\u201d he asked them. <\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n (13) <\/span><\/b>\u201cYou call me \u2018Teacher\u2019 and \u2018Lord,\u2019 and rightly so, for that is what I am. (14) <\/span>Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another\u2019s feet. (15)<\/span> <\/span><\/span>I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. (16) <\/span>Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. (17) <\/span>Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. John 13:1-5, 12-17<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n My son and I weren’t arguing, and he is (in no way) evil<\/b>. He hadn’t slapped<\/b> me on the cheek<\/b>, or taken <\/b>my shirt<\/b>, but…we get the idea.<\/span><\/p>\n Perhaps we are in similar situations today, and our gut-reaction is to react. <\/i>And our go-to first-move is rarely to favor the one who has offended\/hurt\/scorned\/frustrated us. <\/span><\/p>\n But Jesus provides an alternative<\/i> option for us to embrace, even when people are being prickly: Him.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,<\/span> (<\/span>20) <\/span>because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.<\/span> (<\/span>21) <\/span>Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. <\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n (22) <\/span>Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ~James 1:19-22<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n So often, too<\/i> often<\/i>, we want to do what we say, <\/i>instead of doing what the word says. <\/b>But James (essentially) says—don’t kid yourselves! (Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ~James 1:22).<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n If we are not seeing <\/b><\/span>eye-to-eye with someone… that is life! That is not a reason to have a one-sided (self-righteous) conversation with ourselves about how right we are. <\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Our inclination (as humans) is to endeavor and desire to <\/span>make our point<\/i>. It does not take much for w<\/span>ords like “discipline”, “consequence” and “justice” to bump around our frustrated hearts and even to enter into our prayers. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n However, Jesus is not speaking “justice” into our hearts today…but (instead): “mercy” and humility. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,<\/span> (<\/span>4) <\/span>not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. <\/span><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n (<\/span>5) <\/span>In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: (<\/span>6) <\/span>Who, being in very nature<\/span> <\/span>God, d<\/span>id not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; (<\/span>7) <\/span>rather, he made himself nothing <\/span>by taking the very nature of a servant, <\/span>being made in human likeness. ~Philippians 2:3-7<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
<\/span><\/span>…Where we want to make a point<\/i>, and more specifically, we want to make our <\/i>point.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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<\/span><\/span><\/div>\nshouldn’t<\/strike>, couldn’t<\/strike>, it WILL<\/i> work for us too!<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
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