Think back to your preschool days. Do you remember Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street? Always cranky, he lives in a trash can and declares that he doesn’t like anybody or anything that is nice. (Except sometimes he admits that he likes kids.)
Do you know a grouch? Sometimes it’s the man across the street. Sometimes it’s a stranger at the store. These people don’t live in trash cans, but grouchiness can make them seem as if they are living in filthy emotions—short tempers, crankiness, mean words, and grumpy faces.
Proverbs tells us that it’s not necessarily the outside of them that’s a problem but the inside: “As a face is reflected in water, so a person is reflected by his heart” (27:19)
Sometimes a grouch might simply be a person who is lonely or hurting on the inside and needs a kind word. Sometimes grouches don’t know Jesus and just don’t know how to be kind. Today, if you meet a grouch, do that person a favor. Say hello, smile, help with his or her groceries if allowed. Follow God’s advice to always do good.
“‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink. If you do this, you will make him feel guilty and ashamed.’ Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil with good” (Romans 12:20,21).
Dear Lord, help me always be kind to people, even when they are grouchy. I pray that your love will shine through me to them—brightening their day. Amen.
