Skip to main content

Associate With People of Low Position

             Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. (Romans 12:16c) 

Conceited: Excessively proud; vain. 

Who are the lowest of the low to you? I suspect most of us have people we pray God doesn’t draw into our lives. Oh, we’re OK if He sends us to talk to someone from any of these groups, but not that group. It might be a financial issue. No uber-needy rich folks. No uber-needy poor folks. It might be racial, sexual, age-related, or cultural. Maybe it’s people with special needs, or folks who have done something horrible.  Or, we might be just fine, if only we weren’t dealing with p.e.o.p.l.e.

This is one of those issues that I cringe over. I’m sure people will accuse me of being proud and conceited. For me, the absolute worst people, the lowest of the low are the virtual or hypothetical people. I do much better at dealing with people if there are really people there to be dealt with. The issue of how I would treat some person of low position is absolutely traumatic than the issue of how I treat a person of low position. The “would” is the crux of the matter.

Yesterday, I listened to a podcast by John Ortberg in which he related two incidents in which he treated people in a way he shouldn’t have. Those incidents have given him insight into where he needs to work. That was freeing to me because it suggested that I don’t need to fret and worry about trying to prepare so that I don’t do anything wrong. It’s inevitable that I will, but until I do, it’s not a crisis.

I monitored my reactions to people at work today. The people who provoked a negative reaction are the people who don’t speak English well. The problem is one of patience, and that’s one of the things we tend to lack around people who are lower than we are in some way.

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Right Road

          Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. (Psalm 139:7-12)                  For years before GPSes existed, I told people I wanted something in my car that would tell me, “Turn left in half a mile…turn left in a quarter mile…turn left in 500 feet… turn left in 100 feet…turn left now …You missed the turn, Dummy!” The problem isn’t necessarily that I get lost so much as I’m afraid I’ll get lost. I don’t want to have to spend my whole trip stressing over the next turn. I have the same problem with my spiritual journey.   
Post a Comment
Read more

Died as a Ransom

                 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. (Hebrews 9:15)                  This is something I’d really rather not think about but here it is and it’s important. I was reading in Bold Love about seeking revenge.  The author wrote of seeking justice when a supposed Christian does something sinful, harmful, and/or horrific, like sexually abusing a daughter.  And the thought that came to mind was of God asking if Jesus’ death was sufficient payment to me for the sin committed against me.                I have no specific longing for revenge, vengeance, or justice. I’m sure there are some lurking somewhere in my heart, but this wasn’t a response to one. It was more a question of principle. Jesus’ death was sufficient payment for to God for our sins.  That’s the standard Sunday Schoo
1 comment
Read more

Out of the Depths

  Out of the depths I have cried to You, Lord. Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the sound of my pleadings.   If You, Lord, were to keep account of guilty deeds, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, so that You may be revered. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and I wait for His word. My soul waits in hope for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning; Yes, more than the watchmen for the morning. Israel, wait for the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption. And He will redeem Israel from all his guilty deeds . (Psalm 130)             I like Mr. Peterson’s interpretation of the first line. “The bottom has fallen out of my life!” Of course, the problem for some of us is the fact that we’re drama queens, and/or we’re weak. Any time anything happens that disturbs our sense of mastery and control, the bottom has fallen out of our lives. If the past couple of days have taught me anything, they’ve t
1 comment
Read more