I have to admit, my perspective on life is
skewed. I see things a certain way, and I know that on some subjects I am
wrong. I don’t want to make excuses, but some of my perspective grew out of my
upbringing, and some of it has grown out of my experiences in life. I know I
don’t like liver. I love onions. But no matter how many onions you put with
liver, I still won’t like the liver.
This skewing covers more than just liver and
onions. It goes far beyond food choices. I’m not fond of either extreme cold or
extreme hot weather. I don’t like pink houses. I’m fairly set in my ways.
But when I want to make decisions, I don’t
rely on my internal resources alone. I gather information. I do a web search. I
ask friends. I pray. I want advice. I want other people’s perspectives. I want
to know that they think.
I am planning on building an addition onto
my house. I could draw up the plans myself, but I don’t know about the local
building codes. I could research them, but I don’t know about engineering roof
trusses. I could get a degree in engineering, but I only have so many years of
life. So I am hiring an architect. He will fill in my gaps in knowledge.
Wise people listen to the advice of others.
They seek it out. Fools rely on their own limited view of things.
One of the lessons I have learned over the
years, and am still learning, is to not react with full fury immediately. Most
circumstances don’t require deadly force. I have learned to just let the words
of fools slip on by me. I try to consider the source of the words and ask
myself, “Are these words worth listening to and heeding?”
Even with people I know to be fools, I try
to not show my annoyance. Sometimes I am not very good at it. Sometimes I fail
miserably.
Not showing our annoyance allows the door to
remain open. I want to keep the opportunity to share Jesus open. I don’t want
my rude response to keep them from seeing Jesus. Most insults are a defensive
mechanism. People throw them when they are feeling attacked. When they feel
vulnerable, they insult to keep people away. So when I don’t react, I show that
I am not a threat. I keep the door open.