In the 2010 remake of Alice in Wonderland, there's a scene in which the evil Red Queen discovers that her tarts have been stolen. To say that the Queen has a bit of a temper would be an understatement. She also, apparently, really loves tarts. When she realizes that they are gone, she sort of loses her marbles.
Infuriated, she bursts into the hallway and begins inspecting each of her servants, intent on finding the perpetrator. When, finally, the guilty servant is found, exposed by a hint of raspberry jam at the corner of his mouth, she bellows, "Off with his head!"
Every time I watch that scene, I just want to pull the Queen aside and say, "Look, I know he stole your tarts and all, but I think you might be overreacting just a little."
It's comical, of course, but the truth is that I often overreact myself. And when I do, it is anything but comical.
The man that just cut me off in traffic without using his turn signal? Off with his head!
The woman that won't stop talking excessively loudly on her phone in an otherwise quiet waiting room? Off with her head!
The guy at the gym that sits on the machines in between sets so that no one else can use them? Off with his head!
I could go on. You probably could too.
Thanks to a good bit of socializing, my irritation and impatience rarely surface. Yet there they are- right on the edge of my heart.
Therein lies the problem- my sinful heart.
The content of my heart comes pouring out when I get bumped. It spills over and exposes who I really am. It is evident in the words that escape my lips and in the ones left unspoken. Often, I turn out to be far less impressive than I thought myself to be.
If I am the problem, though, I cannot also be the solution. A sinful heart cannot remedy a sinful heart.
Jesus conquered my sin on the cross – and He conquered yours. His sacrifice on our behalf not only saves us, but changes us.
How has he changed you?
Comments