“Protect Us from Cynicism”

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”  —Ephesians 4:32

 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”  —Colossians 3:23,24

 “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.”  —Ephesians 6:7,8

When I was investigating the story of songwriters Bill and Gloria Gaither for the Excellent or Praiseworthy devotional named “Because He Lives” (September 22), I read a very interesting thing about the Gaithers which caused me to think about my attitude from time-to-time.  Gloria Gaither was asked in an interview what her hopes were for her grandchildren and she replied, “First, I hope they will know God for themselves, that they will develop all of the unique abilities that God has put in them, and that they will have healthy relationships that are eternal.  I pray for them, for Bill and me, and for my children at every stage that God will protect us from cynicism.  I pray that God will keep us simple and childlike in our faith so that we don’t miss the wonder of it all.”  (Gaither Praise Gathering)

Imagine that—of all of the things she could pray for herself, her husband, her children and grandchildren—she prayed that they would be protected from cynicism.  Wow! When pondering that, I did a word search on cynicism.  In putting all of the definitions together I came up with this: cynicism is a jaded negativity; it is a distrust of the integrity or professed motives of others; it can lead to despair and a lack of grace. Have you ever struggled with questioning the motives of others? What about your own motives—what you are dealing with in your heart regarding your actions? What motivates you to do what you do? Do you ever find yourself thinking the worst about others and what they do, or the worst of any and all situations? 

During deployment I think it’s possible to go into that negative territory of thinking thoughts that are not helpful—that are indeed detrimental. Harboring resentments against leadership, dwelling on questions and fears regarding past, present, and future assignments, questioning the motives of all of those around us who influence our daily positions and taskings. . . all of these can cause every kind of anxiety leading to bitterness against our spouse, our service, and if we’re not careful—even our God. If we lose touch with His sovereignty in our lives, we can lose heart. 

My primary care doctor is my hero when it comes to serving others. She is constantly being called on to perform the impossible, oftentimes with “impossible” people. One day, while in her office, I found her secret to dealing with others during their most vulnerable times. On her wall was posted a poem, attributed to Mother Teresa, which is sometimes called “The Anyway Poem”:

“People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the best you’ve got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.”  

It’s all about God.  The more I remember that; the more I think about that; the more I cling to that—the better. As Gloria Gaither so simply stated—knowing God, knowing how He works in us and in others, avoiding cynicism, and keeping the faith through it all—is a wonderful way to pray. Jesus puts it this way, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.”  (Matthew 6:33) The result?  Peace. 

Isaiah puts it this way:  “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You!  Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD GOD is the eternal Rock.” — Isaiah 26:3,4 NLT

Questions to Share:

1.      What person or situation have you chosen to think the worst about? 

2.      Pray for God to transform your mind, your thinking, about that person or situation.  Remember, “For nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37)

3.      If God intervened in your thinking about that person or situation, what difference would it make in your life?