Sure enough, my “kindness” came back to bite me. I just knew that if I gave “Dennis the Menace” a banana the other day, that he would be pestering me for more.
My fears were realized this morning as I washed my dishes in the wash basin. Here came Dennis, the smallest of seven children at the house where I live.
“Do you have any bananas?” he asked. Hmmmmm. I thought. Do I lie? If I say I’ve got bananas, of course he’ll want one; then so will the others. I had just bought six bananas yesterday in the market for 45 whole cents. “Yes, I have bananas,” I answered, reluctantly.
I wasn’t ready for his next question. “Do you have any bananas?” he asked. What’s with this kid? I thought.
“Yes, I have bananas,” I answered, still washing my dishes.
Then, again, one more time: “Do you have any bananas?” ... By then, I was thinking, “Where’s the remote control to change the channel on this kid?” Aaaaaaaaaagh!
“How many times do you want me to tell you I have bananas?” I asked impatiently. “Yes, I have bananas.”
“Oh, well, I don’t want any.” Then he ran away.
Huh. That was unexpected. ... And yet why was I impatient with Dennis? God was patient with me:
And yet, when I cried out to the Lord, he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock, and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God, (Psalm 40:1-3).
Ugh. Have mercy on me, O God, a wretched sinner. How many times have I contented myself to look out only for my own interests, my own appetites?
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God — even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.” — I Corinthians 10:31-33.
The Apostle Paul did everything for God’s glory, seeking the good of others, hoping, praying and working for them to be saved by God’s grace in Christ.
Why don’t I? Why was I so concerned about having to share another measly banana with a little boy who doesn’t have a father? The other day, I had thought about taking a banana to town to have something to give away to a poor person. I just didn’t expect someone to want to cash in so quickly on my generous plan.
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