Two Scoops of Let It Go

This morning, I was talking to a younger friend of mine who is heading off to college next year. We were discussing the topic of roommates, and I think he was trying to gain some understanding of what it might be like getting along with other guys in a dorm. I have some really funny dorm stories from my time at Word of Life Bible Institute and Liberty University, but I'll save those for another entry. Anyways, this blog is piggy backing a bit on the previous "Building a Better Barn" article. In addition to the story of the rich fool with the barns (read below), God's been impressing upon my heart another passage of scripture, and I think it applies perfectly to the often sand paper interactions of roommates (or spouses, or brothers and sisters).

Mathew 7:1-2 reads, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Are you nit picky and extremely irritable in your attitudes towards the people you live with? What ticks you off the most? What does that other person do that makes you want to spit gravel? Sometimes, we can ruin really good friendships over the dumbest most retarded of things. Every time a roommate bugs me, I try to remember that I myself can really be a frustration at times. The older I get, the more I realize how picky I am in my relationships with people, and the more I discover that I am not looking as much like Christ as I'd like to.

I usually think of God as all forgiving and all patient... which on some level, He is. However, Jesus makes it real clear through Matt 7:2 that God will be to us what we are to other people. Ephesians 4:2 reads, "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." Maybe outwardly, you are "bearing" with people around you, but what's happening deep down inside? Are you angry? Bitter? Are you holding a grudge? Are you one of those passive aggressive people who like to make hints to another person that you are ticked off instead of talking about it in a constructive "Hey man, would it be ok if..." or "It really hurts me when..." manner? Have you screwed up a good friendship by making a big deal out of something petty and pointless in the long run?