Daily Devotional for June 28, 2016

Matthew 7:1-2    
“Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging.

Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.  Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO.  All rights reserved.

When I was caring for my Mam-ma Polly, there were plenty of people who wanted to give me advice.  One night, Mam-ma got out of bed to adjust the air conditioner unit in her Assisted Living apartment, and she tripped over the bedspread and fell.  The result was a broken femur near the hip socket.  As she lay in bed after surgery, unable to even put a sentence together…much less stand or even sit up – we made the decision to place her on Hospice care.  Mam-ma was 99 years young at the time, and the therapy in a nursing home to try to rehabilitate her seemed torturous and futile.

The orthopedic surgeon came for a follow-up visit and mentioned “rehab,” and I explained why we were not doing this.  At first, he seemed surprised, but as I described the situation, he softened. We had not come to this decision lightly…the nurses and therapists had all agreed that my grandmother did not seem to be a likely candidate to walk again.

Mam-ma returned to her apartment, where she lived to the age of 100 years and 123 days. She managed to rehabilitate herself to the point that she could pedal around in a wheelchair (and occasionally walk herself to the bathroom when no one was looking!)…but for all practical purposes, she did not walk again.  I still believe that this was the best decision for her…and one of many options that “outsiders” criticized as we navigated the “senior aging” journey together.

It’s easy to be critical…until it happens to you.  I’ve had many people tell me, “I just had no idea what all is involved (in caring for elderly persons).”  My mother wrote a book about caring for her own parents as they aged (When Heads and Hearts Collide), and everyone who reads it asks, “How did she know what I was experiencing?”  It’s as if she wrote it just for them.  Many of those who criticized how she handled things have had to eat their words as it happened to them!

Here’s the thing…none of us is perfect.  I know I made mistakes in caring for my grandmother…and my mother said more than once that she would have done some things differently, given a “do-over.”  But when we criticize or berate others, we are saying, “I am better than you” …or even “I could have done better!”  We may think we are helping…but often, our comments are thinly veiled attempts to put down another person and build up ourselves.  And God is not amused.

We often fail to recognize how hurtful criticism, nagging, or disparaging treatment is until someone does it to us. So before YOU get hurt – or hurt someone else - take a mental walk in the other guy’s shoes. You don’t have to try to figure out WHY someone behaves a certain way…or what they could have done differently.  You just have to love them with the love of Christ…and leave the judgment to God.

Don’t be guilty of thinking more highly of yourself and your opinions than you ought.  Prayerfully ask God to guide your thoughts, words and actions.  Be known as someone who leaves the judging to God and loves people right where they are…and hopefully they will do the same for you.
      
©2016 Debbie Robus

Daily Devotional for September 23, 2015

Proverbs 20:22
Don’t try to get even.
    Trust the Lord,
    and he will help you.

The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

“He started it!” 
“She hit me first!” 
“I’ll make them pay!”

We humans learn early to retaliate!  And I’ll tell you something…it’s not just us!  I observed our two cats “go at it” back in the day. What would start out as an innocent mutual face washing could turn into WWIII!  I saw a video on Facebook of two male deer who had sparred with each other until their antlers were entangled, and neither could pull away.  A brave man stepped in and worked to separate them…ultimately breaking one point of a buck’s antler in order to free the pair.

Do we really want to act like animals?  Because when you boil it down, a lot of our actions and reactions to the comments and jabs of others are no less rational than those of two sibling cats – or a couple of bucks jockeying for position with the herd!  And sometimes, God has to step in and “break an antler or two” in order to get us back on track!

We would do well to start with God…to go to Him before things escalate into a brawl – or as quickly thereafter as possible.  At the first sign of insult or division, we should stop and ask God to handle things for us…and for wisdom to know how to move forward.  Not all conflicts are readily avoidable…but our goal should be to keep them to the barest minimum.  With God at the helm of our ship, this will be so much easier.

So the next time a thought of revenge or a “snappy comeback” enters your brain, stop and take a deep breath.  Speak a quick silent prayer and ask God to guide your words and actions.  Let go…and let God handle these situations.  You’ll likely avoid getting “stuck in a rut”…and everyone will be better for your faithful obedience!

©2015 Debbie Robus