Other Shoes

I stole some time on Sunday to listen to a podcast of an interview with Chuck Swindoll. I've been a fan for a while—mostly due to a piece he wrote on "Attitude" wherein he describes life as 10% of what happens to us, and 90% how we react to it. Therefore, our attitudes, play a key role in how we are affected by, and can impact life. Anyway, in this interview, he is asked "How do we stay authentic?". Sort of a funny question if you think about it, but I understand the interviewers question. Sometimes our authenticity can become unauthentic—more presumed upon or egocentric.

Swindoll answers, "Stay teachable.", "I am not caught up in what I am. I try to put myself in the shoes of the other person.".

I know I can get bogged down in what I'd like to say in given situations that I can lose focus on what should be shared, and can easily lose sight of the state of affairs of my audience. A while back I wrote Consider Consider discussing how we don't take time to stay teachable, or imagine another pair of shoes.

Frankly, we don't put ourselves in other's shoes... We are reactive, inconsiderate, vengeful, opinionated, and can so often just act the donkey. We must find pause to respond well—and through the appropriate vehicles. 1 Timothy 4:12 shares "...but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.". Let us do so. Let me do so.