Things we say to ourselves…

For illustration: it is early morning as you shuffle across the kitchen floor to get your first cup of hot coffee but you drop the hot coffee on your bare foot, burning your foot, breaking the cup, spraying hot coffee over the floor, the cupboards, the stove face, etc. You stand still for a moment and what do you call yourself; jerk, idiot or even worse. We say things to ourselves we would never say to anyone else.

As we stand there, we need to make a decision; should we soak your foot in ice? Should we pick up the broken cup? Should we wipe down all the coffee spills? As we do these three separate tasks, we talk to ourselves heaping more stupid, self-talk comments upon our head.

I ask you this “Is dropping a cup of hot coffee really that big of a deal?” I mean, what will it matter in one hour, one day, or one week? But in the process, we beat ourselves up about our dorkiness, clumsiness, being a klutz, whatever. Then we wonder, why do I feel downhearted?

There is much emphasis on how we treat others. That is good; but I wonder, how do we treat ourselves? I mean, how do we react to life’s situations and battles with a Christ-like attitude?

Someone once said, humility is knowing the truth about ourselves. I need to realize God orders the small things in my life. Daniel 1:9: Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel,

I need to recognize my lack of control and I need to let go of my need to control, comment or pontificate on everything that happens in my life. I need to stop making a mountain out of a molehill. When we make mountains out of molehills, it rings of self-exaltation, making ourselves a larger part of the mosaic of life than we really are. This is all a form of human pride.

We need to ask ourselves, what is the center of our life, me, myself and I or is it the Lord? I ask you what do you think about when you have nothing to think about? Whatever it is, it’s a good bet it is the center of your life.

Let’s not overstate our importance, lets not beat ourselves up saying things about ourselves we would never say about or to anyone else. Lets be humble, knowing the truth about ourselves.

Yes Lord, I’m a sinner saved by grace. Because of Christ, I’m your child. Ah, sweet, sweet Jesus. Amen.