July 9–Frenemies

Good Monday! I trust you had a restful weekend and enjoyed time in church where you sang praises and worshipped the Lord. This week should be an interesting one for me—my finger surgery is Tuesday. Hopefully, it will get repaired and I can once again make a fist and open bottles with my right hand. It’s one of calamities of being older I suppose that it takes things twice as long to heal and they may or may not heal correctly. 


I was insulted a couple of times the last few days (yes, how dare people think I’m not perfect and tell me about it!). It made me do a little reading to nurse my pride and I came upon this quote by a psychologist (Dr. Brenda Shoshanna). She says “The person who insults us is a teacher who has come to help us reduce our ego, develop patience and compassion, practice unconditional forgiveness, and teach us about life and relationships. If you don’t perceive an insult as an insult, but as a teaching or a gift, it loses its power to hurt you. On a practical level, if you are insulted, say nothing. Give yourself time. A lot of harm is caused by lashing back, elevating the situation, and saying things you may not mean. Recognize it’s your ego (that false sense of pride acting up) and don’t go along with it.”


You know the apostle Paul even reached a place where he took pleasure in insults. Most of us aren’t there yet, but if we keep working toward that goal, it can happen. 


“That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12:10‬ ‭NLT‬‬


Insults can be hurtful but like the Apostle says, use it. Learn from it and become stronger (not harder). And sometimes they come from our so-called friends, but God may be working though our enemies to accomplish what He wants in our lives. God wants to bless us through good and bad relationships, just as He blesses us through good and bad times. Time we spend with them isn’t wasted nor is it unproductive. The frienemies of life can teach us, build our character and give us the perfect opportunity to share grace. 


Father even though we may always want loyalty and a life where there is no conflict, we know that you can use insults to help us grow in our walk with you. We praise you and give you thanks for the frienemies in our lives. Thank you for working the best in our lives and for leading us in the way we should be going. You are good and you are kind. Help us to demonstrate that kindness and grace to those around us. We pray your blessings on us this day as we try to live more like you. Amen and amen.


Love you dear one,

Pam

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

January 17, 2020

Happy Friday. It’s the end of another week and we have had more opportunities to share the love of Christ with those around us and sometimes that takes quite a bit of effort. I don’t know about you, but I’m not always anxious to embrace others and really listen to them or share with them (especially those who I don’t know well). Sometimes, I just look at them and think “Are you for real?” I don’t always agree with people over politics, sports or of course, religion. And let’s face it, we’d rather spend time with people we like and mostly agree.  And then I read my Bible. God hasn’t called us to sit in our little groups with only those we naturally gravitate towards, but to love people—all people, even those who aren’t necessarily loveable. In this passage, Paul writing to the people of Colosse remarks on how wonderful it is that they truly love others. That love must have really been something over and above the normal and he tells them that it is evident that it comes from the Holy Sp
Read more

January 15, 2020

Happy Wednesday to you. I hope your week is going well. Yesterday, I went to Sams. I was out of things like trash bags, toilet paper, and chicken, so off I went. I like going to Sams because there is always lots to look at and the isles are nice and wide. Everytime I’m there, I am amazed at how much stuff and everything from diapers to TVs to mangos to beds. It just seems incredible that so many things in such quantities are all under one roof.  King David never saw a store with as much stuff aa Sams of course, but he did see countless miracles and understand that God has plans. He knew from creation and history that he was serving a God of miracles and he know that God loved him and his people and would take care of them. He was amazed and awe-struck by the fact that a God who had done such great and mighty things not only cared about his people but that He loved them with such a great love.  “Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can co
Read more

January 9, 2020

It’s Thursday and I woke up to the blowing wind! Lots of it—I’m dreading Boomer waking up and having to go outside with him. That harsh, bitter wind seems cruel and almost evil. But I’ll wrap myself up with a fe layers and boots and brave it all.  Sometimes I think we try to do that with things we know aren’t right—things that are evil. We try to wrap ourselves up and just wade into it, but Paul tells us we should reject it—stay away from it. “Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:20-24‬ NIV When he wrote this he’d been in Berea and the Christians there diligently searched the scriptures to make sure everything Paul said was in line. Paul here is encouraging the Thessalonians to
Read more