Angry Grandma
...Upon receiving the news that we were not able to cash her money order because it was a high risk item, she proceeded to curse at me because her bank across town does it for her. I kindly let her know that we could deposit it and she could withdraw the equal amount of the funds out of her account, but we could not cash it because she was not a regular customer that we know. I told her that she was more than welcome to take the money order to her bank across town, but that did not go over well. She continued to berate me in front of my coworkers and HER YOUNG GRANDCHILDREN (who were laughing at mean old grandma) until I politely turned the microphone off and asked my coworker to finish the rest of the customer's transaction and say thank you.
Why?
Because we feel justified in being hateful when things don't go the way they should.
We do the same thing when we are driving. If someone gets our parking spot or if someone gets in our way on the road, We pitch a fit because its not the way we wanted it to happen. We do the same thing at the restaurant when the waiter messes up our order. We embarrass him because the cook messed up.
It is as if we are justified in our behavior just because we have been or think we have been wronged.
"But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to His own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." Isaih 53: 5-6
That wasn't very fair. Love and fairness don't have a lot to do with one another. God is fair, but God is also gracious, and we as new testament believers are called to be the hands and feet of grace and love, not fairness (or justice). Someday we will judge the nations, but that time has not come yet.
There are better ways to deal with being wronged.... try being willing to die for the person that wronged you or me.
This is for me because I am not very good at grace.
Why?
Because we feel justified in being hateful when things don't go the way they should.
We do the same thing when we are driving. If someone gets our parking spot or if someone gets in our way on the road, We pitch a fit because its not the way we wanted it to happen. We do the same thing at the restaurant when the waiter messes up our order. We embarrass him because the cook messed up.
It is as if we are justified in our behavior just because we have been or think we have been wronged.
"But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to His own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." Isaih 53: 5-6
That wasn't very fair. Love and fairness don't have a lot to do with one another. God is fair, but God is also gracious, and we as new testament believers are called to be the hands and feet of grace and love, not fairness (or justice). Someday we will judge the nations, but that time has not come yet.
There are better ways to deal with being wronged.... try being willing to die for the person that wronged you or me.
This is for me because I am not very good at grace.
posted by Michael at 3:35 PM
2 Comments:
Mean Grandmas go to heaven?
Both grace and the spiritual gift of patience are given to believers; however, this does not mean we will always show them.
And to answer Joel; I do believe that people who act mean, even grandmothers and other friends/relatives can go to heaven. God's grace is not a free pass but it does cover a multitude of sins.
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