My personal rabbi

On a flight last week from Boston, I finally met my personal rabbi, Isaac. He had a very talkative personality, and was sitting right next to me. As usual, I was not able to resist the possibility of making a new friend. So I vented my complaints about the particular problems I had suffered on the airline he worked for, and air travel in general, and how these were related to the erosion of freedoms in a fallen world full of lawyers out to make a ton of money, etc. etc. Within five minutes, Itzak pegged me as a very negative and cynical person.

I made the mistake of telling him I was also a minister. "How do you ever encourage your people?" he asked incredulously, "with that attitude?" After all these years serving Christ, studying and teaching the Bible, I just had no answer. JOY is supposed to characterize those who follow Jesus. The spiritual fruit of joy had rotted on my vine and fallen to the ground.

So I firmly decided, as a result of this encounter, to stop being so negative about the world. I don't like the political situation these days. It's never been worse than it is now. But it could be worse. I'm not happy with myself. But thank God I'm not as meshuggenah as I used to be! And I wish my family were nicer to one another. But they're a lot nicer than some families!

All in all, I have it pretty good. My outlook is realistic enough. But I need to see the eternal reality, the spiritual reality, as much as the present, physical reality. I want to fix in my mind the promises, and stop getting so involved in the judgment. Jesus said, "God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." [Jn 3:17] I am the servant of THIS Jesus, until he comes again as Judge. And so I shall have HIS attitude: "Do not judge, and you will not be judged." [Lk 6:37]

Now I'm really not sure how to let go of this cynical, negativity that is who I am. But Lord, let me buried with Christ and raised a new creation in Him. Father, help me to be thankful, if nothing else, for all that you have done thus far in my life.