John 14:26 – But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom
the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you
of everything I have said to you. (NIV 2011)
Once upon a time, I lived under the illusion that we
should treat people as they deserve. It was a simple law which I easily grasped:
Be nice only to nice people. Thankfully, my illusion got shattered — all because
of one dozen eggs.
That was many years ago. I had a friend who raised
chickens and would give away the extra eggs. One day, when I was riding with
her, she stopped at a neighbour's place to drop off a dozen eggs. This disturbed
me intensely, because the neighbour was a disgraceful person and did not deserve
those free eggs, in my view. Other people were far more deserving — and needier.
My friend's kindness seemed inappropriate. But obviously, she never even
entertained such reservations. Generosity was simply her nature — but not
discernment, so it seemed.
Yet, I especially admired my friend for her
insightfulness. That's why I found her gesture so unsettling. The episode just
wouldn't leave my mind. Thankfully! The Spirit strategically used that to expose
my faulty assumption. Afterwards, with newly opened eyes, I saw that I had
secretly condemned my friend for her act of kindness; I had judged her neighbour
as undeserving of love; I had judged myself as more deserving of those eggs; and
I had opposed God's law, "Love your enemies". That's a lot of misjudgments tied
up in one bundle!
Oh, I certainly knew Jesus's teaching about loving our
enemies. But I couldn't connect it with life. That's because I was shaped by the
world in which I was immersed. It is said that whatever we do or experience
repetitively becomes right to our consciences. That's why an untuned piano or a
wrong note sounds normal after a while. It's why a faulty assumption feels
right, and why we'll defend it ferociously. Such embedded habits are resistant
to change, even if we know otherwise. No wonder I disapproved of my friend's
kind gesture. No wonder I needed the Spirit to reprogram my mind, to remind me
anew of what Jesus taught.
I got thinking, if God can use a mere dozen eggs to
overhaul my entire sense of justice, He can surely use anything to change you,
me, or anyone. God is good at it! That shouldn't be surprising. After all, this
was His covenant plan through the miracle of salvation: "I will put my law in
their minds and write it on their hearts." (Jeremiah 31:33 NIV 2011)
Prayer: O Lord, teach us Your way by Your guiding
Spirit. Train us to think and act more and more in accordance with Your eternal
truths. Amen.
Diane Eaton Kincardine, Ontario, Canada
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