Brothers and Sisters: Responding to Irritations

Just by looking at the title of this post, those who know me must be chuckling right now, for I know you guys know this is a struggle for me. I found this article on The Rebelution website (if you haven't checked this site out, do so!), and found it encouraging.

Responding Correctly to Irritations
by Grace Mally

Being the youngest in the family has its advantages. It also has its disadvantages. Older brothers and sisters have a knack for taking advantage of their younger siblings and getting them (or should I say me) to do just about anything.
For example, I tend to sympathize with things that are hurting or suffering, whether people or otherwise. Unfortunately, my older siblings, Stephen and Sarah, used to think this was pretty funny and had fun making me feel sorry for things. You know how on milk jugs they have a plastic band under the cap that keeeps it sealed before you open it? You probably just pull it off and throw it away, right? Well, when I was younger, Sarah and Stephen would make me feel sorry for these plastic bands. They named them "pricklies" and every time we threw away a "prickly" away, they would tell me how sad the poor little prickly was about being tossed away in the garbage, all alone, with no friends. They even made up a song called "Poor Little Prickly." Not bearing to see the poor little "prickly" abandoned, I would go and rescue it. Eventually I decided to start a collection. At one time I had over 80 of them!
Of course, this embarassing story has a point. Just as I have "mercy tendancies" Sarah and Stephen also have their various gifts, personalities, interesting habits, and "quirks." God is the one who puts families together. He knows exactly what he is doing. The assortment of gifts and personalities He provides makes a family a very powerful team. However, these differences, which make life colorful and exciting, can also cause a lot of irritations.
As rebelutionaries, we need to learn how to handle irritations in a godly way instead ofallowing them to cause damage. You see, our goal is not to seek an irritation-free environment. We will always have irritations in our lives. Instead, God wants us to learn how to handle these irritating situations correctly. The fact is, this is one of the reasons God puts us in families. Our brothers and sisters and parents each have different strengths and weaknesses. Their personalities and characteristics may annoy us at times, but if we can't learn how to get along with them, we won't succeed in our relationships with people later in life.
Recently we received a letter from a girl (we'll call her Lauren) who was having trouble with her sister. Lauren explained that she and her sister shared a room, but Lauren likes it clean and her sister likes it messsy. Sound famillier to anyone? Lauren said that she had tried everything:telling her sister to clean up, cleaning up for her, talking to her parents, and even asking to switch rooms. Nothing helped. She was frusterated and didn't know what to do.
I'm sure we can all relate to situations like this. I know I can. But if we're hoping to change the other person, or if we're expecting the Lord to step in and preform a miracle to change our circumstances, then we're probably headed for disapointment and more frustration. You see, the Lord isn't usually interested in rescuing us from irritating situations. Rather He is interested in changing us! Just like beautiful pearls are formed when an irritant finds its way into an oyster's shell, so when we respond properly to "irritants" in our own lives, we will be displaying the beauty of Christ in our lives. You see, irritations are actually good things. They just happen to be irritating!
Like Lauren, the young lady who is struggling with her sister's "messy tendancies", we need to realize several things when we're faced with an irritation. First of all, we need to realize that we don't deserve anything - not even a clean room. Everything we have is a gift. The Lord gives and takes away, and He commands us to be content in all circumstances.
Secondly, we need to look past the irritations and ask God to reveal the bigger picture. What is his goal in this situation? What is He doing? What do we need to change in our own life? I've found that once I'm able to look past the irritation, it often feels like the light "turns on" and I am able to see how God is using a difficult situation in an important way for a significant purpose.
So next time you are irritated, remember that this is a test from the Lord. Remember that God could take away an irritation in an instant if he knew it would be best for you. And remember that you are a rebelutionary - being trained by God for the important, world-changing assignments He has prepared for you. The training may be tough; it requires endurance, humility, and lots of patience - but the fruit is eternal.