Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. Romans 12:18 (NLT)
We went on a family vacation to the beach. There were lots of us there which meant lots of laughter, lots of love and lots of attitude. You know how it goes. Family dynamics are messy and no matter how hard you try, it’s ..... well... messy.
One day, someone did something that sent my heart to grumbling. I wasn’t mad but indignant. Why would they do that? Didn’t they understand that I needed to be treated with more respect than that? And the thoughts kept pushing through my head until....I stepped aside and said “Lord, what is wrong with me?”
And this verse popped into my head.
Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Philippians 2:3
That was the problem. I was thinking of myself as better than others....like I deserved some treatment because of my position in the family. As I pondered this, I understood how easy it is to get side-tracked from how God is calling us to be. No matter where we are, what we are doing, who we are with, our job is to stay focused on Jesus.
Staying connected and having refocused, I was able to let go of the me-first attitude and stay firmly planted where God wanted me....living life in my family as a servant. It was a much better day after that.