A Good Day

November 26, 2019

God’s timing is never too early or too late. This past week he’s been prodding me about my critical spirit, causing me to ask for his help in becoming more accepting of people. God accepts us as we are, but refuses to leave us in our brokenness and alienation. Getting from where we are to where we need to be can be a challenge. Preachers tend to address that challenge by pointing out the sin and shortcomings, then pointing people to Christ and exhorting them to repent and believe. The problem with this method is how it engenders the tendency towards having a critical spirit. At least, that’s how it has affected me.

God is faithful. Free evenings are few and far between in the Bailey household, but tonight was one of those rarities, and I checked the movie listings. We don’t attend many movies; most of what Hollywood produces holds little interest for us, but tonight “It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” was playing, and we decided to go. The timing was perfect. One day God convicts me about my critical spirit, and the next, we go see a movie about one of the least judgmental men of our time. One of the best ways to learn is by seeing an example of the behavior to which we aspire. Mr. Rogers always looked behind the behavior for the reasons and held up a vision of the person he saw, which was often quite different from what that person believed. He genuinely liked people, was fascinated by them, and took the time to genuinely listen to them. I could do worse than follow that example, so tonight gave me a good deal to ponder, for which I am thankful...and for God’s perfect timing, too.