Do you rub people the wrong way?

I have decided to start another blog site for real estate but it is not ready yet. Why do I tell you this, because it is along the lines of a tool shed and things you find in a tool shed. Again I ask you, do you rub people the wrong way?

It day 13 of my reading, the author speaks about how sandpaper can be a useful tool in woodworking but it does not feel so good when you rub it against your skin. So once more I ask do you tend to rub people the wrong way, irritate people, get under their skin or say hurtful things to others? Wait before you answer that you may be thinking that I am not talking to you. We all tend to rub people the wrong way but the question is do you notice that you are doing it or are you too busy looking for all the faults and flaws in others. We all have sandpaper people in our lives, whether it is at home, in your circle of friends, or at the workplace. The author talks about God allowing these people in our lives for a reason. This made me take notice as I hope it does you. I have always heard the saying God doesn't give you more than you can handle. Well there have been times in my life that I thought to myself well I must be the Statue of Liberty and I was living the life of Job. Have you ever felt like that? Or maybe you feel as Mother Teresa stated so clearly "I know God does not gives me anything I can't handle, I just wish that he didn't trust me so much."

"God allows sandpaper people in my life to craft me into a sharper tool for His purpose. " God gives us clarity on this in Ephesians2:10 " 10 God made us. He created us to belong to Christ Jesus. Now we can do good things. Long ago God prepared them for us to do. " We are all a work in progress, we will never be complete until Jesus comes back. So until He comes back to get His children we need to sharpen those tools.

So let's take a look at the tools that are in this tool shed. First their is the measuring tape, with these people you never quite measure up. They tend to judge you on their own standards of righteousness. Second, the hammer. "Hammers tend to be as subtle as a freight train, pushing their agenda on others and forcing their way. (day 13, pg 97)" Or are you the skill saw that is so good at cutting others down and knowing the right thing to say that will hurt them the most. "Skill saws win verbal arguments every time - not because they're right, but because they know where to cut to weaken the other's platform (day 13, pg 97)." Next you have the vise grips, those that tend to suck the life out of you and you are no good to anyone else in your life. You also have the grinders, who tend to have explosive behaviors and go off at any moment. Next to them are the axes, they cut a large path along the way. Always negative, moaning and groaning about life and trying to cut down the joy in others. Do you know the hatchets, they are similar but they take a smaller cut and tend to hold grudges and past hurts longer. Finally there are the putty people. These people tend to let others walk all over them, they have no backbone and no consistency.

So what type of tool are you and how does your heavenly father view this. Remember Jesus was a carpenter, this was what he knew. He knew how to take the tools and make them work in just the right job. Are you allowing Jesus to take you in whatever tool shape you are and use you in the life of others. Yes, you may be rubbing people the wrong way like sandpaper but God can still use you in that person's life. You never know why you are placed in someones life, don't automatically think it is for your benefit that you in in their life. We (and yes when I am writing I always know God is talking to me about these subjects) tend to find the sawdust in others eyes but yet we can not see the 2x4 in our own eye. Why is that? God places that speck of sawdust in my eye to make me see what I need to work on. Remember the "work in progress". We are just that, a daily work in progress. We will never be perfect but that does not mean that we don't strive for God's perfection in our life. God wants to smooth out the rough edges in our lives so we can be more like His son, Jesus.

"Finally, you get a whole new perspective on the difficult people in your life when you realize that not only has God placed them in your life for a reason but He has placed you in their lives for a reason. He wants you to reveal some of His love, His patience, His mercy toward them. You may be the only face of Jesus they'll ever see. God wants you to surprise them with His love in ways that only you can (day 13, pg. 100)." WOW, what a concept but also how scary that we may be the only face of Jesus someone may see. Well I don't know about you but Jesus would not be too happy with me at different times in my life and the Jesus I let someone see. But by His forgiving and saving grace I can seek and ask for forgiveness and show that person His love, His patience, His mercy toward them because He did it to me. God has soooooo many blessings in store for each of us. Go see where God is at work and join Him.