DON'T complain, criticise, condemn

Events of the past few days have led me to wonder where the fine line is between gossip and being concerned for other people, revealing private information about your friends' friends and making light entertaining conversation, genuinely loving people and being nosy and judgemental. No doubt, examining my private life, I have been guilty of the worst of all three. Perhaps I need to watch what I say more closely.

I remember as a little kid when I used to be babysat by my aunt, I always used to play around my cousin's bed which had a number of stickers and quotes stuck on it and one of them, a bright yellow sticker, said in huge blue letters, "Don't Complain, Criticise, Condemn." As a little child I had no idea what any of these words meant but I liked it and memorised it because of the alliteration (fine kid!). Really "hope and expect" that this will be the kind of person I will become.

When Paul said, "I eagerly hope and expect that I will in no way be ashamed, but that Christ will be glorified in my body whether by life or by death", I was glad and encouraged to read that. For he didn't know, nor was he certain, but he only had hope and expectation. I often wonder whether one day if or when someone holds a gun to my head and says in a foreign tongue, "orrrguuhg nfeuyy arrrrrghhhuuuu Christ?" (translation - do you believe in Christ?) I will have the guts to say "Yes". But I hope and expect, too, that Christ will be glorified in my body whether by life or by death, and even though I'm not certain, I know that I don't really have to worry about the future if I walk with Him now.

Along the lines of "Don't complain, criticise, condemn", Daniel said something yesterday which struck me alot, and that was something from one of John Maxwell's books about leadership. He said that making a list of all the things you didn't want to do, and then doing them, was leadership. I don't know whether that really is leadership; I have my doubts about that kind of definition, but I do know that doing things you don't like (in moderation) builds character and discipline. And that's good.

So since then I've been trying to do more things I don't like, but I don't think I've done enough of them yet. So here is a small list of things I'll try to do.

1. Pray for blessings for people I don't like/ am annoyed with
2. Go out with my friend's friends
3. Talk to people I am unfamiliar with (in halls or in church)
4. Do more work in the library
5. Run errands for people if they ask me to.

Yeah... sorry if this is rambly or boring or preachy. I guess you must be used to it by now, anyway, if you're still reading this blog. Anyway, am off to the gym now with Katie. If the cycling machine doesn't crack under my weight, it should end up being a productive time.