All my life, I've heard the phrase "pain in my neck" used to describe some irritating aspect of daily life. Often, that phrase is used to describe a person- a boss who seems to have unreasonable expectations, a teacher who assigns a lot of homework, a neighbor who complains about everything, a pet who tears up anything in sight, a police officer who gave you a speeding ticket, a cashier at Wal-Mart who is slow or rude, a co-worker who doesn't pull his/her own weight.
I wonder how often I've been a pain in someone else's neck. I'm sure my parents have suffered many headaches on my account, but I wonder what other people have considered me a pain at some point. Do people smile when I walk in a room or when I walk out? I've been reading Proverbs lately, and this verse stood out to me:
Proverbs 12:25 states,
25 Anxiety weighs down the heart,
but a kind word cheers it up.
So I have two questions for you:
1. Which one are you: the anxiety - the pain in the neck - that brings someone down or the kind word that cheers someone up? If you're the pain in the neck for someone today, pray that God will help you become the opposite. Be a builder-upper, not a bringer-downer :-)
2. What/who is your "pain in the neck"? Perhaps the person who causes you grief just needs a "kind word" from you, or perhaps the tension in your life has built up over time and you can't seem to shake the hurt. Whatever the situation, turn it over to God. He can help you deal with the "headaches" in your life so you can fulfill the purpose He has planned for you. His love is the best pain medicine I know.
No comments:
Post a Comment