For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well
doing, than for evil doing. 1 Peter 3:17
I remember Jack Nicholson’s line to Helen Hunt in As
Good As It Gets when he said, “You make me want to be a better person.”
That’s how I feel about Christ, especially lately. God has been showing me lots
of personal things that I like and don’t like. I know that sounds confusing. I
don’t like that I have developed particular character flaws that need to be
changed. I do like that God has shown me that I have developed these, so I can be
willing to turn these over to God's capable hands to change me.
I have found that
Christ is on my heart lately when I’m talking with others, whether it’s to
sales people or my family. He is leading me to try to be more in the moment
with whomever I am with at the time. He is leading me to have more positive
responses and better eye contact with them.
I wish I could
tell you that I am following through flawlessly, but that wouldn't be the
truth. I have fallen on my face more times than not, but God always picks me up, dusts me off and shows me what I should do in the future.
The more that I am
open to this, the more I find the sensitive words come out of my mouth and the
less rushed response to others. I find that Jesus is healing my interactions
with others in somewhat a similar manner that He healed my compulsive overeating.
Prior to God’s allowing me to lose 80+ over 30 years ago, He had lots of
lessons for me to note beforehand. In that time, He showed me how important food had
become and I was letting it interfere with my relationship with Him and with my
family.
Now, Christ is sharing
lessons with me about having a more Christian response with others, with being
there for them, and not rushing through interactions with others. I want to be the better person that Christ wants me to be. He will
continue to heal this, as long as I am willing to turn this over to His very
capable hands. For it is better, if the will of God be so,
that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. 1 Peter 3:17
Since this is an example of the positive influence God has made on my overeating, this may not reflect the whole meaning of the Bible verse.
