problem was that I bottled up my feelings. I’d take it out on my wife and little children instead. About that time I became interested in the Bible. One night while reading I came across this passage which disturbed me a great deal. By Ephesians 4:31 and 32 I was troubled. “Let all bit terness and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you with all malice.” I couldn’t help but think of my boss when I read that. What was wrong with being bitter toward a fellow like that? After all, he was impolite and nasty to me. The idea of being decent toward him burned me up. The next verse I read was even worse, "Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one anoth er; even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” That didn’t sound manly to me. I can assure you, that humanly speaking that night wasn’t very rewarding. The Holy Spirit was speaking to me, and I finally decided that I was going to love my boss. I remember the day I saw him at work reach into his back pocket for that old, dirty pouch. He filled his jaw with tobacco, and chewed for awhile. Then, he de manded, “Brandt, come in here!” For some reason I was just as mad as ever! I still couldn’t make up my mind to love him. I wondered why would the Scriptures tell me to do something that was impossible. Then, I found the answer one day while reading II Corinthians 3:4ff. Psy chologists say that the trouble with the church is that it creates guilt; it makes people have feelings of in adequacy. This passage reminds me that I’m not sufficient unto myself. But how can that be true? I got my education without God’s help. I found a job without God’s help. I could meet all social requirements without God’s help. Why should I think that I have nothing of myself? The ex hortation is not that we are suffi- 7
PRINCIPLES FOR EFFECTIVE LIVING
by Dr. Henry Brandt, Christian Psychologist
P art O ne O VER the years , I've discovered that if anyone will make an ef fort to understand the Bible, putting to work those principles which it gives, he will find living to be tre mendously effective. I was a mechani cal engineer during World War II. I designed tools for the production of aircraft engines. My boss, who came up the hard way, had a very beauti fully furnished office. The govern ment provided us with nice surround ings. Next to the boss’s desk, on top of an expensive rug, was a big, round highly polished brass spittoon. Com ing up from the ranks he brought his habit of chewing tobacco along with him. Whenever he chewed particu larly hard we knew he was going to bawl out someone. This one time he came after me. I really hated him, although he didn’t know it. Of course, there wasn’t anyone who appreciated the boss’s treatment. Our dislike of him was always the subject of con versation around the lunch table. My
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