I Am Going to Behave Myself Today

In a week when stories of riots, looting, divisiveness, and senseless killings abound, are you ready for a true story of beauty and light?

I exited my eye doctor’s office this morning and headed to the parking building. In front of his office always stands a security guard whose only function is to hand motion incoming cars to take a left into the parking building. All day long, the guard motions “left” over and over again to the hundreds of cars who enter the large building daily. He is black. I am white.

The moment I stepped out of the building, he wished me a good morning in warm and enthusiastic terms that made me know he really hoped my morning would be a good one. Then he said, “I am going to behave myself today.”

I said, “Well, good.”

He said, “Yes, I am going to behave myself because it is up to us” (I think he meant us older folks.) How else will these young ones know how to behave if we don’t?”

“So we should set an example?” I asked, trying to clarify his meaning.

“Yes, we should set the example,” he responded and then turned to the next white woman who exited and started the same process all over again, starting with that warm “good morning.”

Wow! How profound! In that 30 second encounter, God showed me so much, and He used this older gentleman to teach it to me.

First, this was a man on mission. He is not in a pulpit or the podium of public office, but he is an influencer. I walked away from him wanting to do better and be a better example for the next generation. He was living out Colossians 3:23:
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,

Ecclesiastes 9:10 says it this way:

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

This gentleman is now a personal hero of mine. He took a job that some would find mundane and elevated it to a pulpit for doing the right thing. He is out there making his life matter all day long under circumstances that would be very hard for me. He is not a young man and he stands there all day with no desk or post to lean on, in all kinds of weather, and he does it cheerfully and with purpose.

The second thing he did was to convict me that I am being watched by the younger generation and that my complaining or judgment of others or lack of compassion could be detrimental to strengthening their hand in the Lord’s. And if I am throwing up my hands in dismay over the state of our politics or culture, then I am not testifying to the confidence I have in the mighty God I serve. The Bible tells us in 51 separate places not to be dismayed. That does not count the hundreds of times He tells us not to have fear. I realized I needed to be walking out my faith better and showing that I have nothing to fear because my God is greater and all victories are His ultimately.

The third thing this parking lot superhero demonstrated was humility. His is a race that has been wronged. He never uttered a word of complaint but only chose to focus on his own behavior and what he was going to do to make this world better. He simply said, “I am going to behave myself today.” At first I had thought it was rather funny as if this older, gentle-spirited man was even contemplating misbehaving. But there was commitment in his voice when he said he was going to behave, and he was behaving—admirably, influentially, humbly. And when we had that brief exchange about setting an example, he was looking into my eyes with such urgency and an appeal for all of us to behave in ways that will promote love and not division. He was doing all he could do in the circumstances the Lord had placed him in to promote that love and to stop the divisiveness.

Finally, I am still processing what it means to behave myself. What can I do to behave well in the circumstances the Lord has placed me in? Where can I speak up like this man did without rancor or condescension or lecturing others to make my corner of the world better? Where should I keep silent and not quote statistics or experts to prove I am right but only love and embrace those who disagree with me on issues, while not compromising my beliefs?

Ephesians 4:29 says:

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Here is my prayer for myself and for you today:

Oh, Lord, please let me not corrupt the hearts or emotions of anyone with my words today. Guide me to only build up as the parking lot attendant did and grant that my life be a testimony as his was. May I show grace to those who hear me and may I bring honor to you, the God who is my confidence and my sure reward.