Would you believe that this is a question I ask myself quite often? When I’m about to send a text message, look in my mirror, take a second glance, make a comment, etc., the thought runs right through my mind. And thank God it does.

How often have you said something that you immediately wish you had an eraser for? Or seen something you wish you could un-see? Or laughed at something that, on second thought, was funny, but you still shouldn’t have laughed at?

I’ll do my best at trying to explain this thought. I think most of us think of our audience as the recipients of our actions, whether the text message or the laugh. So we are likely to zone in on how we are going to be received if we make such and such comment, give that well-deserved side eye, and so on. But what if we’re looking in the wrong direction? What if our audience really constitutes one Person? What would that mean? How would things change?

I’ll insert myself as the example here. Or scapegoat. 😉 Your call.

When I’m about to make a snarky comment to my husband, who probably called for it, if (massive, huge, ginormous “if”) I take a moment to think, “what would Jesus think of this comment, or, worse, the intent behind it?”, I am able to pause. Know what’s cool? That pause in itself often causes a loss of momentum (in, say, a joke), and the moment dies a natural death. What has been spared? Not necessarily my ego in that moment, but I’ve possibly achieved more things than I can imagine. Par example: the silence may have done a heap in conveying love to hubby, I would have been potentially changed a milli-bit with regard to being self-serving, I would have preserved the peace of the household, I would have expressed the tenderness of Christ’s heart… and so on.

There. See? Looks simple, right? Nope. It’s really not. Well, ok, sometimes it’s harder than others. Other times, I just feel like winning. Like, truly! But then I think, if I “win”, maybe only I would have. No one else would be included. And what a loss that ultimately is.

If we love others and if we love Jesus, the ultimate goal with regard to reflecting His heart to the world, is to let Him be our focus, our audience. When God wins in every one of our life situations, we all win. Yes, including me. Including you.

Try this plan. You’ll see.

©2016, WriTEswAY