19 Nov, 2008
A Penny Short
City threatens to put lien on house over a penny.
Eileen Wilbur was one penny short when she paid last year's water bill. Now the city of Attleboro, Mass., is threatening to take action. In a letter they paid 42 cents to mail, city officials say they'll place a lien on the blind 74-year-old's house unless she coughs up a penny by Dec. 10.
The City Collector expained that Wilbur should have paid the balance on her account when they sent out the original bill. She said the lien notices are automatically printed. "It would be fiscally irresponsible for me to have staff weed through the bills and pull out any below a certain amount," she says. "And what would that amount be? (USAToday.com)
In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R. Covey makes the sub-title above habit number five: "Seek first to understand, then to be understood." This story is a great example of the exact opposite - it's all about me and I can't be wrong. When we are focused on ourselves we end up:
- sounding pretty silly - Maybe instead of having staff weed through the mail, the software could "automatically" select the bills not worth sending!
- asking dumb questions - "And what would that amount be?" Let's see - how about at least up to 42 cents!
- costing ourselves more in the long run. The paper work to place the lien alone would cost a lot!
Philippians 2:3-4
3 Don't be selfish; don't live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself.
4 Don't just think about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and in what they are doing.
5 Your attitude should be the kind that was shown us by Christ Jesus,...
Wow. This passage is loaded. It talks about what "Seek First to Understand" really looks like:
- "Don't be selfish. Don't live to make a good impression on others."
- "Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself."
- "Be interested in others, and in what they are doing."
Our culture definitely needs the "don't be selfish" reminder. And humility isn't thought of as highly as it should be. It's not that everyone is really better than you, it's just that you are not better than everyone else! Humility isn't thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less! And one of the best ways of looking for the good in others is to be interested in who they are and what they are doing. You begin to appreciate what they deal with in life, and why they are the way they are sometimes.
Seeking first to understand others. A lot to think about! What would it look like?
- I defend myself less; I stick up for others more.
- I talk about myself less; I listen to others more.
- I judge others less; I empathize with others more.
In the process maybe you even begin to actually have the "attitude of Christ." He loves that person you are dealing with, just as they are. He can help you love them too!
In The Message, 1 Peter 2:12 says:
"Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they'll be won over to God's side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives."
Many of your friends have deep, built-in prejudices against the Gospel. All the arguing in the world won't touch them. Your "exemplary life," though, just might! Sometimes a tiny issue (a penny!) just isn't worth fighting about. Don't be selfish, be humble, and be interested. Seek First to Understand.
When they end up in the celebration with you in heaven someday the penny really won't matter!!!
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