The Best Version of Ourselves

Let’s be honest: people seem like they are becoming increasingly rude.  Rather than responding to rudeness with more rudeness, I’ve been trying to understand why people are not always the best version of themselves.

No doubt the economy plays a major role.  High prices for food, gas, utilities, and rent can negatively affect people’s dispositions and attitudes.

Just this morning, I took my wife to one of our favorite restaurants for breakfast.  Our server seemed distant, inattentive, and not fully present, if you know what I mean.  I began to feel annoyed by her attitude and apparent lack of customer appreciation.  The atmosphere was far from inviting, and I found myself wishing we had chosen another morning to eat there.

As I started to grumble to my wife, she quietly said, “There are only two servers, and they’re having to handle all the tables themselves.”

At that moment, I realized what I was actually witnessing was the pressure our server was under because of the lack of help and the sudden rush of customers.  Perhaps the owner had cut back on staff, or maybe another server had called in sick.  I didn’t know the reason, but I did know one thing: my attitude needed adjusting.

The bottom line was simple—she was overwhelmed and doing the best she could under the circumstances.

Sometimes, when we don’t have all the facts, we are too quick to judge.  Shame on me for falling into that category.

As I looked around, I noticed a table of five, another of six, and several smaller parties scattered throughout the restaurant.  It’s unfortunate when we allow ourselves to sink to the same level of rudeness we dislike in others.

Maybe it would do us good to revisit Galatians 5:22-23 and put into practice the fruit of the Spirit that God expects from us: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.”

If you’re like me—and I’m still working on this with God’s help—we need to check our attitudes at the door: at restaurants, workplaces, sporting events, and especially at home, just to name a few.

We become the best version of ourselves when we remember that others may be watching and listening.  We become the best version of ourselves when we set aside poor attitudes while young eyes and ears are observing how Mom and Dad respond to difficult situations.

We can never go wrong by asking ourselves, “What would Jesus do in this situation?”  The answer will always guide us toward becoming the best version of ourselves.

Written by,

Papa Boyd