22 MARCH

THE STRONG POINTS

“They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. (John 8:7–8)

The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery to Jesus to give approval for her to be stoned according to the law. Jesus answered as above and they all filtered away. Jesus counselled the woman and set her free.

Many have wondered what Jesus was writing on the ground at this time. Could he have been writing all the good she had done? Most often, it is easier to stress and remember people’s weak points than the strong points. To make a success of any relationship, we must focus more on the strong and the good.

Here is what the famous John Rockefeller once did. During Rockefeller’s years as the chief executive of Standard Oil Company, an executive made a bad decision that cost the company about $2million. A partner in the company went to see Rockefeller, to discuss the issue, expecting the worst. Just like Jesus in the passage above, Rockefeller was busy scribbling notes on a piece of paper. On the paper was the heading: “Points in favour of Mr…” Below the heading was a long list of the man’s good qualities, including notes of three occasions where he had made decisions that had earned the company many times more than his error had cost.

This is a great lesson to help us see things in their true perspective and keep temper down at critical times. In so doing, we will avoid costly mistakes, broken relationships and untold regret.

ACTION: Resolve to focus on the positives instead of the negatives.

PRAYER: Help me, Oh Lord, to see the positive sides of people and circumstances, in Jesus’ name.