[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":120},["ShallowReactive",2],{"\u002Farticles\u002Fwhatever-is-best-for-you":3,"\u002Farticles\u002Fwhatever-is-best-for-you-surround":109},{"id":4,"title":5,"author":6,"bibleBooks":8,"body":15,"columnName":92,"date":93,"description":21,"extension":94,"image":95,"meta":96,"minRead":97,"navigation":98,"path":99,"postType":100,"publication":101,"publicationUrl":95,"seo":102,"stem":103,"topics":104,"__hash__":108},"blog\u002Farticles\u002Fwhatever-is-best-for-you.md","Whatever Is Best for You",{"name":7},"Dave Faust",[9,10,11,12,13,14],"1 Corinthians","1 Samuel","Ephesians","2 Timothy","1 Thessalonians","1 Peter",{"type":16,"value":17,"toc":88},"minimark",[18,22,25,28,31,34,37,40,43,46,49,52,55,58,61,64,67,70,73,76,79,82,85],[19,20,21],"p",{},"Broadcaster Mort Crim pointed out the classic difference between an optimist and a pessimist. An optimist looks at a glass of water and sees it half full, while a pessimist sees the same glass half empty. According to Crim, these two perspectives don't exhaust the possible views of the glass of water:",[19,23,24],{},"The realist says simply, 'The glass is.'",[19,26,27],{},"The idealist comes along and says, 'The glass should be full.'",[19,29,30],{},"Then the anarchist declares, 'Break the darn glass.'",[19,32,33],{},"The capitalist suggests, 'Let's sell the glass.'",[19,35,36],{},"The environmentalist proclaims, 'Save the water.'",[19,38,39],{},"The feminist may look at the glass and observe, 'My glass seems less full than his glass.'",[19,41,42],{},"Since everyone has a different perspective, how can we ever communicate at all? Why not approach others with an attitude that sincerely says, \"I want whatever is best for you\"?",[19,44,45],{},"I know how difficult this can be. Selfishness churns inside us all, saying \"Listen to me. Understand me. Serve me. My will be done.\"",[19,47,48],{},"In a dog-eat-dog world, it sounds idealistic to say love \"is not self-seeking\" (1 Corinthians 13:5). It's hard—even heroic—to put others first. Where are the friends like Jonathan who risked all for David \"because he loved him as himself\" (1 Samuel 18:3)? Where is the husband who truly loves his wife \"as he loves himself\" (Ephesians 5:33)? Where is the Christian whose disciplined speech obeys the command of Ephesians 4:29? \"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.\"",[19,50,51],{},"How might our lives be different if we would apply the whatever is best for you principle in our speech?",[19,53,54],{},"We would be quick to say \"thanks\" and slow to complain.",[19,56,57],{},"We would tell the truth even when it hurts—but when it hurts, our compassion would soften the blow.",[19,59,60],{},"Our \"yes\" and \"no\" would be polite but firm, accompanied by the commitment to carry out our promises.",[19,62,63],{},"We would never forward a slanderous or inflammatory e-mail.",[19,65,66],{},"We would find the courage to talk with our friends about painful subjects that must be confronted for our relationship to grow.",[19,68,69],{},"We would never participate in gossip.",[19,71,72],{},"We would refuse to join in \"foolish and stupid arguments\" that only produce quarrels (2 Timothy 2:23).",[19,74,75],{},"We would \"encourage one another and build each other up\" (1 Thessalonians 5:11).",[19,77,78],{},"We would keep our tongues from evil and our \"lips from deceitful speech\" (1 Peter 3:10).",[19,80,81],{},"We would remember the wisdom of an unknown poet who observed:",[19,83,84],{},"There is so much good in the worst of us, And so much bad in the best of us, That it hardly behooves any of us To talk about the rest of us.",[19,86,87],{},"Do you see the glass half empty or half full? That's the wrong question. If your brother or sister is thirsty and needs a drink, what really matters is this: Are you willing to share the water you have?",{"title":89,"searchDepth":90,"depth":90,"links":91},"",2,[],"First Look","2007-05-06","md",null,{},3,true,"\u002Farticles\u002Fwhatever-is-best-for-you","column","The Lookout",{"title":5,"description":21},"articles\u002Fwhatever-is-best-for-you",[105,106,107],"Biblical Theology","Spiritual Formation","Discipleship","tmJfEbGIT4ZhtI5_Qf5_MIdj7lUBnQtAl8KIfKzEPVU",[110,115],{"title":111,"path":112,"stem":113,"description":114,"children":-1},"Whatever Happens, Rejoice!","\u002Farticles\u002Fwhatever-happens-rejoice","articles\u002Fwhatever-happens-rejoice","The apostle Paul wrote, “In all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28). To be honest, a part of me wants to respond, “C’mon, Paul. Are you serious? ‘All things’? Even migraines, flat tires, unemployment, and the flu? Even tornadoes and tsunamis, car accidents and cancer? You’ve got to be kidding.”",{"title":116,"path":117,"stem":118,"description":119,"children":-1},"When All Is Said and Done","\u002Farticles\u002Fwhen-all-is-said-and-done","articles\u002Fwhen-all-is-said-and-done","At first I resisted when my first-grade teacher, Mrs. Tolle, tried to teach me to spell. After all, she was the one who kept talking about the \"three Rs.\" And if she thought the \"three Rs\" were \"reading, writing, and arithmetic,\" I wasn't sure spelling was her forte! Mrs. Tolle believed in the power of repetition, though, and she repeated one spelling rule over and over again: \"I before E except after C.\" Forty years later, her rule gives me confidence every time I write \"believe\" or \"receive,\" and it still drives me to the dictionary whenever one of *The Lookout's* writers uses the word \"seize\" or \"weird\"!",1790466194621]