25 Things That Really Annoy Me

by Debbi Weeks

I have a request with today’s devo: if you read any portion of it, please read the whole thing. I could be quite misunderstood and misrepresented if only a portion of the devo is read. It is meant to be read in its entirety. Thanks, Debbi

There are a few things that REALLY bug me. These are things that “other people do” that really get under my skin and get me angry. I decided to list them here and I realized two things – 1) I got angry just thinking about them and 2) the list was a lot longer than I thought it was going to be. In fact, I should probably change the word in the first sentence from a few things to a bunch of things! Anyway, here are the 25 things I really hate, in no particular order (okay, so the last one is last for good reason):

1. When a person has an elitist attitude or is arrogant.

2. When a person feels they’re entitled.

3. When a person lies – little white lies, exaggerations and hiding the truth included.

4. When a person is ungrateful.

5. When a person isn’t willing to work to improve their situation.

6. When a person blames another for her mistakes or failures.

7. When a person brags (I especially don’t like it if she brags about her kid who is my kid’s age and even more if my kid is struggling).

8. When a person is opinionated, but won’t allow me (or others) to express my differing opinion.

9. When a person uses faulty logic.

10. When a person won’t listen to reason.

11. When a person only does the bare minimum.

12. When a person can’t keep a secret.

13. When a person has something against someone, but instead of going to that person she just talks behind their back.

14. When a person thinks she “knows it all.”

15. When a person thinks the world revolves around her.

16. When a person says one thing but does another.

17. When a person doesn’t do what she said she would do.

18. When a person calls herself a Christian but doesn’t live by biblical values.

19. When a person doesn’t fulfill her obligations or commitments.

20. When a person believes that being submissive is the same as being silent and not expressing an opinion or being a doormat.

21. When a person’s main reason for doing something is because others are doing it.

22. When a person judges before she knows the whole story.

23. When a person flippantly criticizes without any suggestion on how to make it better.

24. When a person’s actions cause me to pay the consequences.

25. When a person doesn’t give me grace through my sanctification process.

Perhaps you have your own list. Sorry, my devo equals my list!

I think I could have gone on and on – truth is they came to mind way too easy. That probably says a lot more about me than the things that bug me. So my list is done and I’m sitting at my computer seething, but I’ve learned something really important - that despite the fact that I hate these attitudes and behaviors, they are not just “what other people do.”

Some of these attitudes and behaviors I have even been “characterized by” in the past, but God has graciously worked on me and I am pleased to report that they are no longer consistently displayed in my life.

Then some of these areas God is presently working on in me. I am working towards them no longer being displayed in my life, but truthfully, I struggle with them. Maybe I’m not “characterized by” that attitude or behavior anymore, but it is definitely present in my life.

And, I confess, some of these behaviors are things that I am characterized by and, truth be known, I’m not doing anything about changing them. I may even be blind to their presence in my life. “A person” in my list is me! I’m comfortable in my sinful state – or at least comfortable enough to not make the effort to allow God to change me, even though it’s an attitude or behavior I loathe! My prayer is that the Holy Spirit makes me uncomfortable, so uncomfortable that I can’t help but submit to change!

I’m reminded of Philippians 3:13-14. I looked them up online to have the right punctuation and I read verses 15-17! Wow, they’re fabulous on this topic too:

Philippians 3:13-17

“Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained. Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.”

I’m so thankful that many years ago I committed verses 13 and 14 to memory because I need to be reminded of those words regularly - for myself and for others. This is the reminder that none of us have arrived. We are all still in process. God is not done. He’s not done with me when I harbor resentment towards people who have attitudes and behaviors that bug me. And, He’s not done with me when I display those same attitudes and behaviors. Oh, and yeah, He’s not done with those in whom I see those attitudes and behaviors (could it be they’re the mirror He’s using to point out my failures to me?). Praise God that He isn’t done with me, but that He has promised to complete the work He began!

Philippians 1:6

“ . . . being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

And 2 Corinthians 12:9 (see Peggy’s Monday post)

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. ‘Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.”

I’ll wait and be patient and give grace to you, if you’ll wait and be patient and give grace to me!

Father God I praise You that You are holy. I praise You for solely being worthy of praise.

I confess that I have more than 25 things that irritate me about other people and yet I am or have been guilty of those same attitudes and behaviors. Please forgive me and please have Your Spirit (gently, please) remove the blinders making me uncomfortable enough to be convicted.

Thank You that You have promised to carry us on to completion – that You continue to work in us.

Lord, please help me to extend grace to others and I humbly acknowledge that I walk in Your grace.

In Christ’s Name, Amen