I saw a bumper sticker in a parking lot: DON’T TELL ME WHAT KIND OF DAY TO HAVE. I must be slow because it took me several minutes to figure it out. Here was someone so mad at the world that he couldn’t even handle a common courtesy. He obviously did not want to have a nice day, thank you very much, and I suspect that he didn’t, not that day nor any other.
I have heard similar things about other polite phrases. “You don’t care how I am, why ask?” Everyone with any sense knows that “How are you?” is not a question; it’s a greeting. Do these people need a course in semantics or what?
No, what they need is an attitude adjustment, the kind you get from becoming a disciple of Christ. Christians are not afraid to take risks, to put themselves out there for people like that to step all over, because Christians understand that treating others well, regardless of how they are treated, is the signature of a follower of Christ. More than anything else, it shows who we are. We choose to believe the best about people; we choose to offer help whether it is accepted or not, whether we are taken advantage of or not; we choose to show a spirit of forgiveness whether the other person deserves it or not.
Those others, the grumpy, the bitter, the cynical, the ones who view the world with a jaundiced eye, the ones who deride us for our stupidity, as they categorize it, who think themselves so much smarter and better than us with their snide sarcastic sayings—“Don’t tell me what kind of day to have”--are in actuality cowards. They are afraid of being hurt, afraid of being used, afraid of losing the only thing they have—confidence in themselves and how they choose to live. They will not take risks, while we thrive on it. We know that anything we lose here was not worth that much anyway—it will all perish in the end. The things they count on could be gone in a flash, but they are not smart enough to figure that out.
So there you have it—they are cowards and not very smart ones at that. Don’t worry when they laugh at you for your willingness to take risks. When you think about it, we aren’t taking any risks at all—they are the ones with everything to lose.
And by the way, have a nice day!
You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: but I say unto you, resist not him that is evil: but whosoever smites you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man would go to law with you, and take away your coat, let him have your cloak also. And whosoever shall compel you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him that asks you, and from him that would borrow of you turn not away. You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy: but I say unto you, love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you; that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven: for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. For if you love them that love you, what reward have you? Do not even the publicans the same? And if you salute your brethren only, what do you more than others? Do not even the Gentiles the same? You therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matt 5:38-48.
Dene Ward
I have heard similar things about other polite phrases. “You don’t care how I am, why ask?” Everyone with any sense knows that “How are you?” is not a question; it’s a greeting. Do these people need a course in semantics or what?
No, what they need is an attitude adjustment, the kind you get from becoming a disciple of Christ. Christians are not afraid to take risks, to put themselves out there for people like that to step all over, because Christians understand that treating others well, regardless of how they are treated, is the signature of a follower of Christ. More than anything else, it shows who we are. We choose to believe the best about people; we choose to offer help whether it is accepted or not, whether we are taken advantage of or not; we choose to show a spirit of forgiveness whether the other person deserves it or not.
Those others, the grumpy, the bitter, the cynical, the ones who view the world with a jaundiced eye, the ones who deride us for our stupidity, as they categorize it, who think themselves so much smarter and better than us with their snide sarcastic sayings—“Don’t tell me what kind of day to have”--are in actuality cowards. They are afraid of being hurt, afraid of being used, afraid of losing the only thing they have—confidence in themselves and how they choose to live. They will not take risks, while we thrive on it. We know that anything we lose here was not worth that much anyway—it will all perish in the end. The things they count on could be gone in a flash, but they are not smart enough to figure that out.
So there you have it—they are cowards and not very smart ones at that. Don’t worry when they laugh at you for your willingness to take risks. When you think about it, we aren’t taking any risks at all—they are the ones with everything to lose.
And by the way, have a nice day!
You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: but I say unto you, resist not him that is evil: but whosoever smites you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man would go to law with you, and take away your coat, let him have your cloak also. And whosoever shall compel you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him that asks you, and from him that would borrow of you turn not away. You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy: but I say unto you, love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you; that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven: for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. For if you love them that love you, what reward have you? Do not even the publicans the same? And if you salute your brethren only, what do you more than others? Do not even the Gentiles the same? You therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matt 5:38-48.
Dene Ward
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