niggled?

Ever felt annoyed with someone?

No?

Oh, must just be me that gets niggled by other people then.

Well from my experience you can’t just stop being annoyed with someone by  trying not to feel negatively towards them. You actually have to turn it on its head and think about what’s great about them.

I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse

Philippians 4: (The Message)

It’s funny how I can have fleeting thoughts about how great an individual might be and yet I can spend a good few minutes churning over what’s not so great about someone else. When we choose to reverse this natural human process and “meditate on the best,not the worst, the beautiful, not the ugly;” a miraculous process occurs. We begin to see that person with a different lens. It’s as if we begin to start pulling the treasure out of that person rather than the grime.

The overflow of a decision to meditate on what is good is that we genuinely begin to love others and what God has placed in them. What we’re really doing is choosing to see another as God sees them. I know that this works because over the last few years I have seen my head and heart change when I have chosen to meditate on what is good. Our mind is a powerful thing. And when we recognise our responsibility to take hold of our thoughts and surrender them to Jesus, the Holy Spirit is free to work in our hearts. We then begin to see some of the fruit of the spirit oozing out of us…. love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I have less niggles and annoyances when I’m living like this!

It is likely that nothing has changed in the other person but our hearts have changed and that’s all we’re called to give account for. (Romans 14:12)

I have challenged someone I mentor to take this approach in a particular relationship she is finding difficult. And I am also challenging myself to take this on as a discipline.

How about you?

 

posted by Anna