A Test of Character

[Bendito]

A few years ago, my Lady and I had the pleasure of taking a young girl to dinner...We took her to a fancy restaurant and let her pick anything on the menu...
During the course of the meal, the waitress, who was really trying to do everything for us, made a slight mistake in something for our friend...The response was not only embarrassing but completely wrong...Our friend spoke sharply to the waitress, who had already seen the mistake and was moving to correct it.. She belittled the woman, and treated her like a third class fool....

Well, in this case I will not do a study of what the Word says...I will say though, that these little tests of character are many. What did this test show of our friends character? Not much, right? It showed flaws! The thing is....If you know its a test, it's easy to ace it...It's when you don't know that you're being tested that shows your character...for strength or weakness....

Needless to say, my Lady and I apologized profusely, and left the poor waitress a hefty tip for her troubles..

 

[Chad]

Yes, in the heat of the moment we usually won't think that it's an opportunity to maintain good character. Every chance is an opportunity. Something I'm really trying to improve as well, and seen some amazing tweaks the Holy Spirit has done on my heart.

 

[Wired 4 Fishen]

Funny thing about these test. Its an open book test - get in the book and pass it!!!
It is easy to sit in church and praise God and shout but when your home and the fire gets turned up high then we see what we are made of.

Pastor has taught us to stop and forgive Every one before entering a store or restaurants and release then force of forgiveness and love over everyone before you get in there. Then if the server drops hot coffee in your lap you don't have to struggle to forgive for you already have and now simply act like it. This has changed my life big time. Good stuff brothers.
God bless
James W

 

[Bendito]

Funny thing about these test. Its an open book test - get in the book and pass it!!!
It is easy to sit in church and praise God and shout but when your home and the fire gets turned up high then we see what we are made of.

Pastor has taught us to stop and forgive Every one before entering a store or restaurants and release then force of forgiveness and love over everyone before you get in there. Then if the server drops hot coffee in your lap you don't have to struggle to forgive for you already have and now simply act like it. This has changed my life big time. Good stuff brothers.
God bless
James W

If you will allow....Sometimes we have to forgive many times for one single offense... Satan will bring this offense up as often as he can and you can get offended over and over etc. Each time you have to forgive it again, or forcefully remind that lying Satan that it's under the blood and forgiven.

 

[Wired 4 Fishen]

If you will allow....Sometimes we have to forgive many times for one single offense... Satan will bring this offense up as often as he can and you can get offended over and over etc. Each time you have to forgive it again, or forcefully remind that lying Satan that it's under the blood and forgiven.

Hello Bendito,
Oh my friend I could not agree with you more on this. When we are learning how to walk in love and forgiveness we may have to repent and speak forgiveness over so e one or a situation 25 times walking across the parking lot. Been there done that.

However the out come is amazing to say the least. It begins to be harder and harder to be offended for once you learn to walk in love, well brother, things don't even stick long enough to even merit to be forgiven. It will come to a place where others may come to you and ask you to forgive them and you will have to ask for what just to know. Now that's liven my friend.
Oh and yes I do allow.
God bless
James W

 

[robaston]

If you will allow....Sometimes we have to forgive many times for one single offense... Satan will bring this offense up as often as he can and you can get offended over and over etc. Each time you have to forgive it again, or forcefully remind that lying Satan that it's under the blood and forgiven.

bro, i don't understand this...how can this offense up as often as he can and you can get offended over and over etc

 

[Bendito]

bro, i don't understand this...how can this offense up as often as he can and you can get offended over and over etc

When Satan whispers in your ear, 'remember what robaston did to you? Remember how it hurt you?' then you think about it..ponder on it, and get angry all over again....That's the way we work my friend....If we ponder on the offenses we will get offended all over again...So instead we whip out the forgiveness card and slap Satan with it....As many times as we need to, until Satan stops his lies about that.

 

[robaston]

i see, agree but maybe some memories of things done to us, are for our instruction...such as so and so is unreliable

 

[Bendito]

i see, agree but maybe some memories of things done to us, are for our instruction...such as so and so is unreliable

Of course You forgive but we cannot really forget...That memory is in the brain forever Use it but don't let it use you

 

[LordKnows]

If you will allow....Sometimes we have to forgive many times for one single offense... Satan will bring this offense up as often as he can and you can get offended over and over etc. Each time you have to forgive it again, or forcefully remind that lying Satan that it's under the blood and forgiven.

Ohhhhh I like this!!!!! God is GOOD ALL the time!!!

 

[Dave M]

The story told here is more like every day life occurrence that the lady's true nature was exposed. Does not seem like, much of a test to me, this was everyday life. To test ones character is to see what one does when they think nobody is looking. If this young lady behaves like this when people are watching, imagine how she would behave behind close doors.

Now for the question about this thread, is this gossip?? Have I written gossip?. Sure seems like gossip to me, people talking poorly of another person. Your thoughts

 

[B-A-C]

The story told here is more like every day life occurrence that the lady's true nature was exposed. Does not seem like, much of a test to me, this was everyday life. To test ones character is to see what one does when they think nobody is looking. If this young lady behaves like this when people are watching, imagine how she would behave behind close doors.

Now for the question about this thread, is this gossip?? Have I written gossip?. Sure seems like gossip to me, people talking poorly of another person. Your thoughts

Yes, everyday is a test. God knows our hearts, but He uses circumstances to reveal the state of our heart
to us.

Gossiping.... Let me tell you what I heard about... (just kidding).

Prov 20:19; Rom 1:29; 2 Cor 12:20; 1 Tim 3:11; 1 Tim 5:13; 2 Tim 3:3; Titus 2:3; etc...
all of these mention gossiping.

 

[robaston]

[QUOTE="Dave M, Sure seems like gossip to me, people talking poorly of another person. Your thoughts[/QUOTE]
think there needs to be names to be gossip

 

[Christ4Ever]

I do have one question in regards to this @Bendito

Were you or your wife able to use this as a teaching moment for the young lady regarding her exchange with the waitress and how it might have been handled better?

In my own life, I truly try to communicate to another and even to myself with the Love of Christ. If I can remember the mercy He has had on me for all the things in my own life that have fallen short. How can I not reflect/give this very same mercy to another? Especially, knowing that they might be in that most dire of condition, of unbelief!

One can even include another attribute of love, which is compassion. Truly compassion is characteristic that our Lord had that we would do well to make part of our everyday life. Kind of like putting yourself in that other persons shoes, which is very much what God did by becoming flesh. Ah..another subject for another day :whistle

Thanks for the post dear brother. We can all use a moment of reflection on how we communicate/behave with others during trying, annoying, tiresome, difficult, etc. times!

YBIC
C4E
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