You should also know that I cannot compartmentalize. At all. I would be a terrible Sydney Bristow. Everything is connected to everything else. You're rolling you eyes at me suggest that you have a bad attitude about something which suggests you may have issues with authority and obedience which suggests that you may have issues with your parents, teachers, pastor, etc., and so on... You see, to me, it's not simply "an eye roll".
I coach a Varsity softball team. A team that consists of teenage girls. Teenage girls who, like all other teenage girls, are still trying to find themselves, who they are in Christ (or if they even care about God at all), where they fit into it all, why all the boys doesn't like them, why girls don't like them (though, they hate those girls anyway). Girls who don't have the perspective to properly see their issues, situation, how blessed they are and how important the things they blow off really are. This isn't a knock toward them or teenage girls across the world; it's just the facts of teenagers. I was one once (not TOO long ago...) so I think I am aloud to at least incriminate myself, no? Anyhow, knowing this is how teenagers will be until the end of time, I started off the season already on my guard. I was *already* irritated at what I expected them to do (great attitude, right?). I had past experiences that made me slightly cynical and jaded. I truly wanted to help them be better players, be a reflection of Christ and tie those 2 things together to provide them with valuable life lessons.
"...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." Philippians 4:8
I was kind of doing the opposite of this. I'm pretty sure when we do the opposite of what God commands, we wind up pushing people away from Christ and not drawing them into Him... But, yanno, I could be wrong...
Anyhow, after months (ok, years) of battling my frustrations, I prayed for a change in my attitude. I didn't want everything to make me angry or elicit a negative response from me (not just in coaching, mind you). Finally, one Sunday, after a message I can't specifically recount, I was convicted and truly prayed to be released from my bondage so that I could 1. be free, and 2. truly show Christ to others. I always thought people had such a negative opinion of me; people obviously thought I wasn't a true Christian because I wasn't always sweet, happy, fun, perfect... And, hey, that may have been the case! I was kind of a turd.
I definitely felt different after that, and still do. I am SO thankful that God walked me through this to show me the negative consequences of what were good intentions that were terribly implemented.
"Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” Matthew 12:3
Talk about a punch to the gut. So often we breeze over verses without really thinking about their meaning. We think, "Oh, that sounds nice. Next." This is a pretty weighty verse, though. Out of the overflow of the heart. Whatever is in your heart is what is coming out. Now, if you're a kind-hearted individual with always good intentions who is a true servant of others, this verse can provide solace (depending on your perspective, of course). If you're like the aforementioned person above, this verse can be an arrow right in the heart. Don't be that person. I didn't like it and I'm pretty sure other people didn't, either. Deal? Deal.
