I applied biblical principles to a situation yesterday and although it was somewhat insignificant I believe it made a difference, at least it did in my life and the rest of my day. Now at one point I was not thinking in the biblical mode at all because the employee/owner at this business was so rude to me.

I had stopped in a little mailing store to mail a gift. When I walked in, the store was in disarray and I had to walk through a maze of stacked up boxes to find an employee. Sitting at a computer was a man looking at what seemed to be a map. Looking over his shoulder, seeming somewhat irritated by my interruption, he asked what I needed. I told him I wanted to mail a gift and I asked to make sure this was a place that mailed things because it wasn’t obvious, there were just huge boxes everywhere. He grunted yes that it was, I then politely asked if he sold cards (so many of these mail center stores have cards that I love). Again with a grumble he said “no” saying he could give me a piece of paper and lifted a torn piece of notebook paper. POLITELY still….. I said that was okay and looked to see if there was anything I could buy that would be appropriate to send with this gift. There was nothing, a few post it notes but it seemed as if his inventory was very low on everything except boxes.

Remembering I had some cards in my glove box (why is it called a glove box, I have never put gloves in there) I went to my car and got a card and wrote a message. Finished with all the preparation I was ready to mail my gift and thankfully found an envelope (it was the last one) that had bubble wrap in it. After sealing the envelope I told the man I was ready.

Annoyingly he pushed his chair away from his computer and stomped over taking the envelope from me to weigh it. He asked how I wanted to send it and I said I didn’t know so he proceeded to tell me the prices for 1st class, priority, etc. After listening I asked him what the difference was and with GREAT impatience he asked me if I had just heard him tell me the different prices. Beginning to lose my composure I had to swallow hard and pause before I spoke, I then told him I understood the difference in pricing but I wanted to know the different benefits in the various mailing classes. He shrugged and said priority might get there faster but he really didn’t know.

By this point I wanted to give him a friendly hand gesture but I stopped myself again, it was really hard because he was just so mean and treating me like I was stupid. Not sure what to do I went with priority and he rang me up. He forgot to charge me for my envelope so I reminded him and again he seemed irritated. I thought he might be thankful because it appeared his business was struggling and he needed every penny coming in since he had NO inventory only huge boxes that obviously weren’t selling. By this point I was shocked he was still in business at all with the lack of customer service. I was beginning to seethe inside and was about to tell him what I thought of him and his store. (When I am REALLY angry I have a gift, well it is really a curse, of being sarcastic and critical much like my father was)

But at that moment it was as if God whispered to me and said be kind you don’t know what he is going through, be kind even though he is being a jerk to you. (I really wanted to argue with God on this point and thought I could really plead my case but decided against it and chose to be obedient). So I swallowed my anger which was a hard lump to get down and paused again (it is good to pause when you are agitated or angry, HIS word instructs us in that way) James 1: 19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

After handing him my debit card and receiving my receipt I smiled at him GENUINELY and told him to have a wonderful evening.(somehow I was able to suppress all my built up sarcasm) Then I looked in his eyes and said “May God Bless You” and smiled again. His whole demeanor changed and with a warm smile he replied thank you and said “God Bless you too sweet girl “. I then turned and walked out of the store with a smile not only on my face but on my heart as well.

I walked in the Spirit yesterday although I really was tempted to walk in the flesh. When I left that store the joy of the Lord was within me and that felt wonderful. If I would have gone off on him I might have had some sort of temporary gratification feeling justified because he wasn’t treating me right but that would have faded and then I would have felt bad about the whole situation. This was just a minor part of my day but it was also very powerful. God reminded me of 2 Timothy 2:23-26 which I memorized years ago. His word is our sword and it is good to have it on our hearts so we can draw upon it whenever we need it.

2 Timothy 2 (New King James Version)

23 But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. 24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will