Richard’s wife had a firm, unshakable conviction that it was the duty and responsibility of the man of the house to take out the garbage. So, every morning after he kissed her goodbye, she would hand him a bag or two of garbage. His normal routine was to grab the bags, storm out of the house, and slam the garbage into the can.
“That takes care of your old garbage,” he would mutter to no one as he got into his car and squealed around the corner. This was a twenty-year battle.
Then Richard discovered the love of God, and that God’s love is always kind. It startled him to realize what an unkind act and rebellious attitude he had when he was taking out the garbage every morning. God convicted him of his sin and Richard repented. He still carries out the garbage, it is still a concession, but now Richard does it with a kindly spirit toward his wife.
Upon further reflection, Richard discovered that he carried out many of his other daily duties with the same rebellious attitude. He was actually the architect of a lot of unhappiness in his life. Each time God brought a rebellious action or attitude to his attention, Richard repented of it and let the love of God heal his miserable spirit. Without changing a single detail in his life, he began enjoying the responsibilities of his life instead of seeing them as distasteful chores and duties.
In what way has rebellion weaseled its way into your life? Are you willing to allow God to heal you of this destructive attitude and bring joy and peace into your life?
[Dr. Henry Brandt shares insights from his counseling sessions. The names and certain details in these true case histories have been changed to protect each person’s identity and privacy.]