PUSHING BUTTONS
PUSHING BUTTONS
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Her young daughter made her mother sit up and take notice. She pushed a button or two. You're a whole lot nicer to people at church than you are to me sometimes." Hump! And then she stomped out of the room. That’s hard to take.
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Why do we discard any attempt at kindness when we kick off our shoes at home? People at church expect us to conform to a certain standard of friendliness. By the same token we can't get ahead in the marketplace being nasty, even to obnoxious people. But at home, that's different. Husband and wife live close together. Parents and children live in close proximity. Differences and conflicts are inevitable. Frustrations linger unresolved. We know each other all too well. We know how to push each other’s buttons and are quick to do so too.
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Buttons can do a lot of great stuff. They can call a nurse when you’re sick, call a flight attendant when you need a refill of your mimosa, or call a butler when you need the toilet flushed. They can adjust the volume of your favorite song, adjust the angle of your hospital bed, or adjust the level or morphine in your drip.
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They can turn on televisions and turn off televisions and go to every channel in between - they can open and close elevator doors, we can speak to people halfway around the world just at the push of a button. Of course, they can also cause trouble by, for instance, deploying atomic missiles and dropping bombs.
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Buttons can do all this and much, much more, but when we talk about "pushing buttons, we aren’t talking about televisions, cells phones or elevators, although we could be talking about dropping bombs when we have a knee jerk reaction to someone who is pushing our buttons - especially when they know just exactly what buttons need to be pushed to get the biggest knee jerk response from us.
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Just the other day, this really petite young woman dropped her money into the pop machine down at the UNB gym and then pressed the button. Nothing happened. She hit the eject button and out came all of her money in quarters She had put in a tunney. Now she has to go through the whole routine again, only this time she must put in 7 coins instead of one, and then she presses the button. Nothing happens. She wants a diet Pepsi. Must be all out of diet Pepsi I say. She gives me a dirty look. Presses the eject button and out clicks six quarters. She hits the machine and out drops the seventh quarter.
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She goes through the whole routine, 1st quarter, 2nd quarter, 3rd quarter, 4th quarter, 5th quarter, 6th quarter, then the 7th quarter. Before she can press the button, click, out drops the 7th quarter. The machine has rejected it. She muttered something about the Dam or something - leaving me wondering what Mactaquac Dam had to do with her trying to get pop out of a pop machine.
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Why do we discard any attempt at kindness when we kick off our shoes at home? People at church expect us to conform to a certain standard of friendliness. By the same token we can't get ahead in the marketplace being nasty, even to obnoxious people. But at home, that's different. Husband and wife live close together. Parents and children live in close proximity. Differences and conflicts are inevitable. Frustrations linger unresolved. We know each other all too well. We know how to push each other’s buttons and are quick to do so too.
.
Buttons can do a lot of great stuff. They can call a nurse when you’re sick, call a flight attendant when you need a refill of your mimosa, or call a butler when you need the toilet flushed. They can adjust the volume of your favorite song, adjust the angle of your hospital bed, or adjust the level or morphine in your drip.
.
They can turn on televisions and turn off televisions and go to every channel in between - they can open and close elevator doors, we can speak to people halfway around the world just at the push of a button. Of course, they can also cause trouble by, for instance, deploying atomic missiles and dropping bombs.
.
Buttons can do all this and much, much more, but when we talk about "pushing buttons, we aren’t talking about televisions, cells phones or elevators, although we could be talking about dropping bombs when we have a knee jerk reaction to someone who is pushing our buttons - especially when they know just exactly what buttons need to be pushed to get the biggest knee jerk response from us.
.
Just the other day, this really petite young woman dropped her money into the pop machine down at the UNB gym and then pressed the button. Nothing happened. She hit the eject button and out came all of her money in quarters She had put in a tunney. Now she has to go through the whole routine again, only this time she must put in 7 coins instead of one, and then she presses the button. Nothing happens. She wants a diet Pepsi. Must be all out of diet Pepsi I say. She gives me a dirty look. Presses the eject button and out clicks six quarters. She hits the machine and out drops the seventh quarter.
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She goes through the whole routine, 1st quarter, 2nd quarter, 3rd quarter, 4th quarter, 5th quarter, 6th quarter, then the 7th quarter. Before she can press the button, click, out drops the 7th quarter. The machine has rejected it. She muttered something about the Dam or something - leaving me wondering what Mactaquac Dam had to do with her trying to get pop out of a pop machine.
"Here, I said, waiting patiently, ‘try this one." She looked at me with a scowl, took the quarter I offered, gave me back the rejected quarter, drop it in, pressed the button, and out popped her drink. She never even said thanks. I mean, just how ungrateful can you be? Last time I offer someone help at a pop machine. And I was being very patient too. Then I realized, she had pushed more than the buttons on the pernickety pop machine, she had pushed a few of my buttons too!! Sometimes its so easy to push our buttons, isn’t it?
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I am sure that most of us have been angry at some point in our lives? Maybe someone lied to you, or did something to you, or maybe it was something they didn’t do that caused you to "lose your cool." It might interest you to know that the Bible teaches us that it is alright to be angry. There are appropriate times to be angry. like when a drunk driver kills someone. However we are not to commit ‘sin’ in our anger and we are not to let the sun go down on our anger.
I am sure that most of us have been angry at some point in our lives? Maybe someone lied to you, or did something to you, or maybe it was something they didn’t do that caused you to "lose your cool." It might interest you to know that the Bible teaches us that it is alright to be angry. There are appropriate times to be angry. like when a drunk driver kills someone. However we are not to commit ‘sin’ in our anger and we are not to let the sun go down on our anger.
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It began as a simple drive to the airport. They were to pick up her parents who were coming for a visit. They were running late. The plane would be landing. She was a very careful driver. He would take chances. He was driving. It was such a simple comment. She said that if it was his parents they would have left early, but seeing as it was her parents he didn’t care. He responded by hitting the gas and didn’t see the stop sign up ahead until the last minute. She made some remark about men drivers ...... he hit the gas again, this time almost hitting the car that had just pulled out in front of them. By the time they got to the airport, he was angry, she was silent, and then when her parents appeared with luggage in hand asking if everything was alright she smiled sweetly and said "Yes, of course, the traffic was heavy for this time of the day." Good old anger.
It began as a simple drive to the airport. They were to pick up her parents who were coming for a visit. They were running late. The plane would be landing. She was a very careful driver. He would take chances. He was driving. It was such a simple comment. She said that if it was his parents they would have left early, but seeing as it was her parents he didn’t care. He responded by hitting the gas and didn’t see the stop sign up ahead until the last minute. She made some remark about men drivers ...... he hit the gas again, this time almost hitting the car that had just pulled out in front of them. By the time they got to the airport, he was angry, she was silent, and then when her parents appeared with luggage in hand asking if everything was alright she smiled sweetly and said "Yes, of course, the traffic was heavy for this time of the day." Good old anger.
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Not only did their relationship take a beating that day, so did the truth, and not to mention suppressing feelings and emotions for the next two weeks or so.
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However, It was the blazing anger of Wilbur Wilberforce against the slave trade and of Lord Shaftesbury against the deplorable conditions in which men, women, and especially children worked in during the nineteenth century that brought great change to the lives of countless millions of people. Such anger is appropriate and easily defended. However, selfish anger is always wrong. Being angry, bad-tempered and irritable for the sake of being so is a position not easily defended. Step one of the simple, succinct plan for life - get rid of anger. And do not misrepresent the truth - no lying. To do so allows the devil to enter into your life and bring pandemonium and chaos.
Not only did their relationship take a beating that day, so did the truth, and not to mention suppressing feelings and emotions for the next two weeks or so.
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However, It was the blazing anger of Wilbur Wilberforce against the slave trade and of Lord Shaftesbury against the deplorable conditions in which men, women, and especially children worked in during the nineteenth century that brought great change to the lives of countless millions of people. Such anger is appropriate and easily defended. However, selfish anger is always wrong. Being angry, bad-tempered and irritable for the sake of being so is a position not easily defended. Step one of the simple, succinct plan for life - get rid of anger. And do not misrepresent the truth - no lying. To do so allows the devil to enter into your life and bring pandemonium and chaos.
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Step 1 - banish selfish anger.
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Also, do an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay and do not steal from your employer. Work in such away that not only will you have money, but you will have enough so as to share with others.
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Also, do an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay and do not steal from your employer. Work in such away that not only will you have money, but you will have enough so as to share with others.
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Step 2 - be kind and generous.
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Little Johnny was always asking questions. He always wanted to know about things. When his father came over on the weekends to take little Johnny over to his place, little Johnny had all kinds of questions. What will we do? Where are we going? Can we go to the movies. What about MacDonalds, can we go there? Little Johnny’s dad was having a bad day that day and he told little Johnny to ‘Shut up! You’re just like your mother - always wanting something."
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Little Johnny would remember that day for the rest of his life - it didn’t matter how many movies or MacDonald Happy Meals his dad bought him, he’d never forget.
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When you speak to others, chose your words most carefully. Use only words that build other people up. The words we choose to use, can often cut others to the bone, leaving them scarred for life. Chose your words most carefully, so that they may not only sound graceful, but are full of grace to those to whom you speak them to. Remember, there are no ‘unused" words.
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Little Johnny was always asking questions. He always wanted to know about things. When his father came over on the weekends to take little Johnny over to his place, little Johnny had all kinds of questions. What will we do? Where are we going? Can we go to the movies. What about MacDonalds, can we go there? Little Johnny’s dad was having a bad day that day and he told little Johnny to ‘Shut up! You’re just like your mother - always wanting something."
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Little Johnny would remember that day for the rest of his life - it didn’t matter how many movies or MacDonald Happy Meals his dad bought him, he’d never forget.
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When you speak to others, chose your words most carefully. Use only words that build other people up. The words we choose to use, can often cut others to the bone, leaving them scarred for life. Chose your words most carefully, so that they may not only sound graceful, but are full of grace to those to whom you speak them to. Remember, there are no ‘unused" words.
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Step 3 -Encourage.
A lawyer was reading out the will of a rich man to the people mentioned in the will: "To you, my loving wife Rose, who stood by me in rough times, as well as good, I leave her the house and $20 million."
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The lawyer continued, "To my daughter Jessica, who looked after me in sickness and kept the business going, I leave her the yacht, the business and $1 million."
The lawyer continued, "To my daughter Jessica, who looked after me in sickness and kept the business going, I leave her the yacht, the business and $1 million."
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The lawyer concluded, "And, to my brother Dan, who hated me, argued with me, was always jealous of my success and thought that I would never mention him in my will - well you are wrong. Hi Dan!"
The lawyer concluded, "And, to my brother Dan, who hated me, argued with me, was always jealous of my success and thought that I would never mention him in my will - well you are wrong. Hi Dan!"
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Sadly, that joke says as much if not more about the rich man as it does about Dan. Remember that grudge you have been holding for such a long time. It only serves to make you bitter. It hurts you more that it does the person you are angry with. It only serves to make you bitter and full of wrath. Again the devil is having a field day. It is you who will be filled with the poison of malice and spitefulness.
Sadly, that joke says as much if not more about the rich man as it does about Dan. Remember that grudge you have been holding for such a long time. It only serves to make you bitter. It hurts you more that it does the person you are angry with. It only serves to make you bitter and full of wrath. Again the devil is having a field day. It is you who will be filled with the poison of malice and spitefulness.
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Step 4 - Banish all selfish anger, bitterness, malice and spitefulness from your life today. Do not give the devil even a foothold.
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Practice ‘strategic kindness’ to everyone you meet. Be specific when practicing kindness. Ask God to "tenderize" your heart. Pray that God empowers you with the Holy Spirit to practice forgiveness remembering that God has already forgiven you.
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Practice ‘strategic kindness’ to everyone you meet. Be specific when practicing kindness. Ask God to "tenderize" your heart. Pray that God empowers you with the Holy Spirit to practice forgiveness remembering that God has already forgiven you.
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Step 5 - be Christ’s minister of reconciliation, not destruction.
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Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
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Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
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Step 6 - as a Christian you are called to live a life of light and love
- as an ambassador for Jesus Christ - not as an embarrassment.
- as an ambassador for Jesus Christ - not as an embarrassment.
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Standing at the pernickity Pop machine ..... 1st quarter ...... clunk ......2nd quarter .... clunk ....3rd quarter ...... clunk ..... fourth quarter ....clunk .... fifth quarter .... clunk .... sixth quarter ..... clunk .... seventh quarter ......clunk ........ push the button - nothing happens - repeat first seven steps .......
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Others can only push our buttons if we allow them. The fruit of the Holy Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness AND self-control.
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posted by vesuvius2 @ 6:03 AM
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