Christian Devotionals and Scripture Applied to Everyday Life

I don’t usually think of myself as a Grinch. Christmas is such a fun and special time of the year, but the other day some Grinch-like characteristics found their way into my attitude.

Have you ever made a judgment call only to realize after the fact that you got it all wrong? I have and it was a costly mistake.

A dark foreboding feeling crept over me as I pulled the metal door open and entered our neighboring county jail. I was there on business with nothing to fear, but still the clanging doors and dark dismal interior sent shivers up my spine. I waited on a cold bench until an officer unlocked the security doors and beckoned me into the hallway outside the office area. There, while waiting to be helped, I watched the movements of a few inmates and their wardens on the numerous security cameras behind the thick glass. Finally my business was completed. The door clicked open, and I hurried through the lobby and out into the sunshine.

Halloween is just around the corner. This is the time of year when many dress up in costumes. Recently, Luke and Brianna hosted an autumn dress up party. Their little family masqueraded as the cutest beekeeper, flower, and honeybee I’ve ever seen. After the party they took the costumes off and returned to their normal selves. But sadly there are many people who spend their whole lives pretending to be something they are really not.

John Wooden, one time head coach at UCLA, said, “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are . . . the true test of a man's character is what he does when no one is watching.”

Have any of you ever said or thought these words? If you are honest I am sure that you, like me, have expressed these feelings at one time or another. Maybe a friend betrayed your trust . . . or a client did you wrong . . . or a family member pushed the wrong button one too many times. People are imperfect and regular contact affords plenty of opportunity for rubbing one another the wrong way. Hurt feelings and raw emotions sometimes get the better of us. But what if there were a different way of handling the situation?