You Just Have To Respect It 3/23/2022

 Good Morning,

No coffee for me today. Our coffee machine is in need of a repair or we might have to purchase a new one. What is a guy supposed to do?

I was once told by a kid who at times was wise beyond his years "You don't have to like it. You just have to respect it." That bit of advice has served me very well. There are certainly a lot of things I don't like in this world yet I need to respect the fact that other people might like them. Unless they are doing harm to me, I need to respect the choices of others. 

But the key to that being a successful modern day Proverb is this. You don't have to like it comes first. Yet to show respect for a certain something means you won't verbally attack it or voice your opinion. There are certain things that I will dislike and that is my preference. But in order to show respect for others, it is best to just be quiet. 

I sought out some Biblical advice on this and it was very easy to find. 

Ephesians 4:26 Be angry, but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger. 

Ephesians 4:31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

So I thought this through and have decided that there will always be something or someone that will rub you wrong. There is a time to be angry. But when the anger causes you to sin, you have gone too far. If your anger takes you into the night and causes you not to sleep, you have already put yourself into a place where bitterness might creep in. In other words, you need to take care of you. 

Mom always said. If you can't say anything nice, just don't speak. Thus you won't be in sin. 

Now there is a cure for taming anger also. 

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

When a head is filled with good, it usually spills over into the heart.

Food for thought.

Marty