Whatever Is Best for You

Broadcaster Mort Crim commented about 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 glass half empty. According to Crim, these two perspectives don’t exhaust the possible views of the glass of water.

A realist says simply, “The glass is.”

An idealist insists, “The glass should be full.”

An anarchist declares, “Break the stupid glass.”

A capitalist suggests, “Let’s sell the glass.”

An environmentalist says, “Save the water.”

A feminist notices, “My glass seems less full than his glass.”

Since everyone has a different perspective, how can we ever agree on anything?

Unselfishness—A Rare Quality

Communication and empathy are difficult because selfishness churns inside us all, saying, “Listen to me. Understand me. Serve me. My will be done.”

In a dog-eat-dog world, it sounds idealistic to say love “is not self-seeking” (1 Corinthians 13:5, New International Version). Rarely does anyone 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.”

For the Benefit of Others

How would our lives be different if we would apply the “whatever is best for you” principle in our speech?

We would be quick to say “thanks” and slow to complain.

We would tell the truth even when it hurts—but when it hurts, compassion would soften the blow.

Our “yes” and “no” would be polite but firm, accompanied by a commitment to carry out our promises.

We would never forward a slanderous or inflammatory e-mail.

We would find courage to talk with friends and family about painful subjects that must be confronted for our relationship to grow.

We wouldn’t participate in gossip, and we would refuse to join in “foolish and stupid arguments” that only produce quarrels (2 Timothy 2:23), keeping our tongues from evil and our “lips from deceitful speech” (1 Peter 3:10).

We would “encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

We would heed the wisdom of an unknown poet who wrote:

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.

Do you see the glass half empty or half full? That’s the wrong question. If your brother or sister is thirsty, are you willing to share the water you have?

This article first appeared in The Lookout magazine on May 6, 2007. More of David Faust’s past articles, searchable by topic and biblical text, can be found on the website www.DaveFaustWrites.com.

Author: David Faust

David Faust serves as contributing editor of Christian Standard and senior associate minister with East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is the author of Not Too Old: Turning Your Later Years into Greater Years.