I could not get the coffee grounds in the trash! The way my husband tightly packed the grounds into the tight quarters of the machine made removing them impossible. Ugh.
I asked him to pack the coffee into the machine lighter, so it would all fall easier into the trash, but…we all know how it is…life gets busy, mornings get going and coffee is not a huge deal in the grand scheme of life. So, those grounds continually were packed super tight, making it an impossible annoyance to throw away on a daily basis.
Grr…
And, while coffee is most certainly a first-world problem, don’t we all know? It’s often the small things that create big annoyances that have power to topple many dominoes over in our day.
Ever been there? One thing sets you off to be annoyed, then you react to another, which makes something else happen — and you find yourself somewhere emotionally that you don’t want to be?
I needed wisdom on how to handle this. God’s wisdom.
“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” (James 3:17)
The wisdom I got? I decided to empty out my grounds each time. So, instead of leaving my grounds in the coffee machine for him to empty, I emptied my grounds. And, guess what happened? I set a precedent. In turn, he emptied his grounds.
I didn’t have to say a word.
I didn’t have to nag.
I didn’t have to tell him what to do.
I didn’t have to get angry inside anymore.
I just set an example in love and he responded in same.
I am writing this post today, because I got the feeling that some of us are fighting battles in words, when God is calling us to show love through our deeds. Some are angry at others for what they are not doing, when God may be calling us to do something new. Many are fighting battles God did not call us to fight, when He wants to bring our justice. Others are using anger as a weapon, yet anger never leads one to righteousness (see: James 1:20). A group is waiting for them to change, while every day banging their head against the same wall.
Here, I ask: What is the Lord calling you to do? What is wisdom saying about how to handle this problem? What is understanding leading you to do through a sincere heart and love?
There may be another solution to your hard problem.
While this coffee story is so simple, it is emblematic of our greater issues that lay at hand. There is no greater testimony than a living one, one done through a heart of service and love.
“Love never fails.” (1 Cor. 13:8) Love is the highest wisdom and understanding we can ever have. Let’s use it and see it work.
What is love calling you to do?
Father God, I thank you that our highest calling is to love. Show us how to love and what it looks like in our hard problems. Lead us in your love. Empower us not to be offended, agitated or angry. Make us into living testimonies that shine your glory and grace far and wide. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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