Am I Cynical?

Have you woken up some mornings wondering what has gone wrong with our world? It doesn't take long in the morning to see the bad stuff surface! Just go online, watch the news or drive to work and get cut off. You can pretty easily get a streak of cynicism going!

Sharon Hodde Miller writes in her book: Nice:Why We Love to be Liked and How God Calls us to More, “The word cynicism generally refers to pessimism about or skepticism toward other people. It can develop in a number of ways: slowly over time through a series of wounds or bad experiences or as the result of a bias toward a specific group.”

Something painful occurs in your life. (breakup in relationship, financial need, job exit, social media challenge, car wreck, physical challenge, etc) You can enter a state of painful disillusionment where you think things should be a certain way. But they’re not. This can shake you to the core and leads to cynicism. How about you?

• What brings on cynicism for you?
• What beliefs do you have about people and the world around you? Are they true beliefs?
• Do you pass your cynicism on to others?
• What absolutes do you live by? “All…Every….Always… Everytime…”

Let’s not be people known by our cynicism, but by our love. Just look to the Gospels and note Christ’s life. Jesus was hurt, betrayed, mocked, humiliated and experienced a humiliating death. Do you think at any point in Jesus’ life that He was cynical? Jesus models a different way and invites us to walk with Him.

Miller writes in her book: “As much as we want to enlist our cynicism to prove how much we know, cynicism accomplishes the opposite. It reveals our wounds, our pride, or our personal axes to grind, but it does not bolster our authority.”  What would our organization, family and relationships look like if cynicism were eliminated?

“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….Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” (Ephesians 4:29, 31)

“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things.” 1 Corinthians 13:7

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

Just the First Step

Today is a good day. A really, really good day. Today, we celebrate the achievements of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a moral and spiritual leader who became a giant of the American civil rights movement in the 1960’s.

I picked up my MLK Tee shirt at the Y last week. I loved that it was purple and was even more intrigued by the design of the shirt…. A staircase with the following quote: “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just the first step.” (Martin Luther King, Jr.)

Think for a few moments about a goal that you really want to accomplish, but your uncertain if it will ever happen. You worry if you can really can get that master’s degree, pay off your school loan, get a promotion, influence your city, run for office or even run a marathon. For me, my own insecurities and fears can get in the way of making my goals a reality. But King encourages us to at least start the journey toward our goal even if we can’t see the complete path toward it. We trust in faith that we will reach our goal.

The writer of Hebrews states: “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) We may not see the top of the staircase right now. Instead, we partner with God, trusting Him each step of the way, knowing He will see us through. We learn to walk by faith, not by sight, when we don’t see what we want to see. We ask for help when we fall backwards, knowing that God loves to extend His grace and mercy. That’s the faith journey and so worth it! 

Martin Luther King’s life embodied faith and trust in God. He didn’t have to see the top of the staircase.  He knew his weakness, insecurities and fear and trusted in a faithful God to carry Him. What if He had tried to plan out his entire life until the ripe old age of 85 or 90? He died at 39! King had learned wisdom from God to trust him for each day. Take a moment today and invite God to show you how you can learn from Martin Luther King, Jr.

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio

Jonah and the Whale

Do you remember the story about Jonah and the whale? God gave him a special assignment to go to the land of Nineveh and tell the people that their evil ways had broken God’s heart. Jonah must have been a people pleaser, because the idea of doing that was too much for him! He ran away and got on a boat that was going in the opposite direction of Ninevah!

Well, ya' can’t run from God and Jonah found that out the hard way! The boat he was on blew and shook in a storm. Jonah knew God had sent the storm and so Jonah told the sailors to throw him into the water. A big fish swallowed up Jonah! While inside the fish, Jonah prayed, and after he was done praying, God commanded the fish to spit him out.

So, God still wanted Jonah to do what He asked- to go to Ninevah.  So this time, Jonah obeyed God. Jonah told the people that their evil ways broke God’s heart and guess what? The people were sorry and asked God to forgive them. Jonah learned that ALL people are precious to God! Jonah obeyed God this time!

It struck me today that I’m really a lot like Jonah. Maybe you are too. We claim to follow God, but when He gives us a specific direction, we really prefer to go another way. Sometimes, in fact, we run the opposite way! It’s so easy to cling to our comfortable ways and steer clear of an intimate walk with God. I’m learning in this challenging season that He is the only place where true comfort is found. Why would I want to run way from God?

Don’t forget to note how God is always at work in this story! Even when Jonah disappointed God, He didn’t leave Jonah. He pursued Jonah. He provided for Jonah and even saved him from the belly of a fish! He made a way even when Jonah was walking away from God. Wow… God is so good.

Have you walked away from God? Do you feel like you can run your life better than God?  Stop making excuses for keeping God at bay. God may be using this “storm” in your life to help you see His unfailing love for you. Consider Jonah and his ways. Change is possible.

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio. 

Keeping God First in 2020

Just the other day, I was thinking about God and what keeps me from seeking Him more in my life. One word came to my mind: SELF. Self and its priorities can become way too important, even more important than God.

Yep, self (me, myself and I) is the biggest roadblock to allowing God to have His complete freedom in my life. I get in the way. Self is a powerful force in humans. We learn from an early age to get our needs satisfied. As we get older, we learn to control ourselves, fight for ourselves, defend ourselves, take care of ourselves, and protect ourselves.

What would it look like for you to be no longer concerned with your own will and happiness? What would it look like for you NOT to be the center of your own little universe?

I’ve gotta’ admit, it’s in my nature to want things to go my way. How about you?  How do you handle the following situations?

• When things don’t go as planned
• When someone says something hurtful to you
• When difficulties and circumstances overwhelm you
• When you get turned down for a promotion
• When you don’t get what you worked so hard to acquire
• When you’re left with a void that shakes you to the core

So, what is our human response on these circumstances? Frankly, when these things happen to me, it bothers me. It rubs me the wrong way. I go over and over them in my head and it can even make me angry! Self has far too much power and we often don’t know what else to do! Thankfully, God gives us a different way to live.

In the Scriptures, Jesus described the “dying to self” process. “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” (Matthew 16:24) He then went on to say that “dying to self” is actually a positive, not a negative practice: “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:25) Our own natural self freaks out at the idea of dying to self. Yet, as we learn to practice this, we literally get to experience the abundant life Christ came to bring. You see, when we die to self we set aside our own wants and desires and instead focus on loving and obeying God and valuing others as more important than ourselves. (Philippians 2:3-4)

Just think...... As you start the year, your greatest life could take place as you give up focusing on you and your own interests. I admit, it goes against our natural tendencies, but God has a different way and He will help you live your best life ever!

“Self is the most treacherous enemy, and the most insinuating deceiver in the world. Of all other vices, it is both the hardest to find out, and the hardest to cure. “ Richard Baxter

“Few souls understand what God would accomplish in them if they were to abandon themselves unreservedly to Him.” Ignatius

“Let God have your life; He can do more with it than you can.” D. L. Moody

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.