I'm Doing it to Myself Grace

I allowed myself to get worked up over something, although it really seemed like it was all the other person's fault. I got so frustrated that I came home and went to the Bible, because Christ knows what I need in situations like this. 

 I decided to flip the Bible open to a random spot and read it and I was in the book of Job. I was reading about how Job was suffering so much, despite how little wrong he had done in his life. It's then that Christ gave me I'm Doing it to Myself Grace as I read through those Bible passages. I was allowing myself to let someone else's actions or inaction pull my strings.  

 I was allowing myself to behave in ways I'm not proud of. I rarely speak back to someone in anger, but this wasn't the case this time. Fortunately for me, Christ had me flip to those passages in Job that let me know how insignificant these matters really are in comparison to all he was dealing with. I'm ashamed for letting my feelings affect me like that!

Example of a Brief Prayer

But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they. Acts 15:11

I was with someone who was scooping up some free popcorn. They didn't ask me if I wanted any. The person told me that I should get a bag of popcorn and then took it from my hands. They wanted me to get the popcorn for them to eat later.

It's such a silly thing, but it really did irritate me. Didn't that person think about whether I wanted some or not? Couldn't they have asked me if I wanted some before they took it from my hands? I found myself getting frustrated at that person. Then, it popped into my mind that that's not what Christ wants of me. He wants me to be gracious to those who irritate me, but I was too frustrated to be gracious at that moment.

What I prayed was, "Popcorn Grace," and immediately Christ calmed me down, so that I didn't respond to the person in a less than positive manner. Although the "Popcorn Grace" prayer was very brief, I was asking Christ to please give me grace with this popcorn situation, so I would respond in a gracious manner, and He did! It amazed me that He knew and understood my brief prayer and granted me that grace, so I could be more gracious as an example of how He works in my life! I have continued to use these brief prayers which are changing my life and my response to others. If Christ can do this for me, He can most certainly do it for you, as well. Try it...what can it hurt?