Lets face it, we can all have those people in our lives, who just rub us up the wrong way, in some way or another. The one, who just has the ability to do or say something, at just the wrong time, in the wrong way.
But, because they irritate us, does that mean that they can’t be a blessing to us?
Or more to the point, can we recognise that, those who do irritate us, are also able to be a blessing, either for, or to us?
I can see, that I’ve most probably, been the irritating one at times, who may have been, overlooked or misunderstood, because of the irritation that I was bringing, at the time.
(To those who I have irritated in the past, please forgive and bear with me, I’m still a work in progress.)
But I can also recognise that I am still being blessed daily, because someone who kind of irritates me, told me about a different route that I could take (literally), which was better than the route, which I was taking.
The humour is not lost on me. I am being daily blessed, because of a route which was made known to me, by someone who just kind of irritates me. 🙂
The information that I was given, is Very Good, but the one who gave me this Good information, I still find, a bit of a challenge, at times.
How many daily blessings would I be missing, if I allowed my personal struggles, influence whether I should listen to the good information, that was presented to me. (Many daily blessings.)
Can we sometimes, miss a blessing, because of where this supposed blessing is coming from?
Now please, don’t get me wrong. The source of where a blessing comes from, does matter. If an enemy tries to trick us with something that looks good, but has a sting in the tail, then there is a need to be weary of such things, and use wisdom, with how we handle such things.
But what I am trying to ask is, can we see, that it is possible to be blessed by someone, or something, that we find to be a bit, or a lot, of a challenge, annoyance or irritation?
The problem that we can face, is that we can sometimes, only see the challenge, annoyance or irritation, that the source brings to us, and as such, then miss the blessing.
We can even see a possible example of this, in the bible, when Philip tells Nathanael about Jesus.
John 1:45-46
45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.
“Come and see,” said Philip.
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Now, if Nathanael had allowed his thinking about Nazareth, dictate his actions, he could have missed out on meeting Jesus. He could have missed out on meeting with God.
Fortunately, Nathanael listened to Philip’s response of, “Come and see”.
Will we be able to act in a similar way, of being open to test and see, if what is in front of us, is of any value, even if it comes to us, from an unexpected, or irritating source?
I can remember someone saying to me once, “Your mind is like a parachute, it’s only any good to you, when it’s open.”
How open are we to recieving something of value, from a source, that we find challenging, in some way?
As I was thinking about these things, the bible verses in, 1 Corinthians 1:27-28 was kind of coming to me. It then it made me smile, as I read it, in it’s proper context.
Christ Crucified Is God’s Power and Wisdom
1 Corinthians 1:18-31
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”
Wannabe Christian Doorman 