{"id":15396,"date":"2003-11-14T16:56:00","date_gmt":"2003-11-14T22:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?page_id=15396"},"modified":"2021-01-11T10:43:18","modified_gmt":"2021-01-11T16:43:18","slug":"of-gnats-and-other-annoyances","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/bible-studies\/moral-principles-for-young-people\/of-gnats-and-other-annoyances\/","title":{"rendered":"Of Gnats and Other Annoyances"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t

Of Gnats and Other Annoyances<\/h1>\nby Gary Henry
\noriginally published in\u00a0Focus Magazine<\/a>, February 2000\n

\"\"During the summer of 1970, I worked for a road construction company that was rebuilding U.S. Highway 90 along the Mississippi Gulf Coast following the devastation of Hurricane Camille the previous summer. Our long workdays began about daybreak. Without even the hint of a breeze at that hour, the waters of the Gulf of Mexico were as still as a sheet of glass. I would have enjoyed the freshness of those mornings if it had not been for the gnats. Down there, anyone foolish enough to come near the sandy beach that early on certain summer mornings is going to be attacked. So small you can hardly see them, these gnats bite with a torment that is out of all proportion to their size. By mid-morning they\u2019ve disappeared, but for the first few hours of the day, they are enough to make a grown man cry.<\/p>\n

I remember working one morning with Joe Bridges, a grizzled old black man who watched out for me on the job and had become a dear friend. From Tylertown, Mississippi, he had been a common laborer for many long years and had followed construction jobs all over the South. I often marveled at the patient, rhythmic way he worked in difficult conditions, and this morning was no exception. As I furiously fought the gnats and said unappreciative things about the day I was born, Joe seemed to take only slight notice of the devilish little insects.<\/p>\n

\u201cMan, how in the world can you stand this?\u201d I finally screamed. \u201cDon\u2019t these gnats bother you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d Joe said, looking at me sideways as he adjusted his hard hat a little, \u201cI guess they would \u2013 if I let \u2018em.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was some years later that I understood: folks who have known what real hardship is don\u2019t pay much attention to gnats.<\/p>\n

One measure of a man is the size of what it takes to annoy him. Unfortunately, most of us are far too easily irritated. Since we have so little character, it doesn\u2019t take much to get the best of us. Consequently, our lives are dominated by relatively minor vexations, things that wisdom says we shouldn\u2019t take the time to be troubled about. We\u2019re the victim of every little unpleasantness that comes along. Rather than grow in character and rise above these petty annoyances, we spend our lives swatting \u201cgnats.\u201d The real work we were sent here to do ends up being neglected because we spend most of our time and energy being annoyed.<\/p>\n

The tendency to be easily annoyed is far more than a quirky little \u201cpersonality\u201d trait. I would suggest that many of the quite serious problems in life \u2013 especially in our dealings with other people \u2013 boil down to a failure of self-discipline with regard to the basic issue of irritability. If not repented of and removed from our character, annoyance is likely to cause more deadly destruction than we expect. As bad habits go, being grouchy is far from harmless.<\/p>\n

When we find ourselves upset over \u201cgnats\u201d and other annoyances, our hearts are wide open to all manner of evil things. \u201cWhoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls<\/i>\u201d (Proverbs 25:28). \u201cHe who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city<\/i>\u201d (Proverbs 16:32).<\/p>\n

Paul wrote, \u201cLet your gentleness be known to all men<\/i>\u201d (Philippians 4:5). The word translated here as \u201cgentleness\u201d (or moderation, or meekness) is defined as \u201cstrength under control.\u201d To avoid the destructive effects of annoyance in our lives, our strength must be under control. To do this, we must be not only self-disciplined but show God\u2019s wisdom. \u201cWho is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy<\/i>\u201d (James 3:13-17).<\/p>\n

Most of us would like to have \u201cpeace of mind,\u201d but we tend to see \u201cworry\u201d as the main hindrance to that peace. What we fail to recognize is that annoyance is just as much the enemy of \u201cpeace of mind\u201d as anxiety. The peace of God hardly reigns in our hearts if we\u2019re in a constant state of vexation over the little irritations of life.<\/p>\n

So what is it that really irritates you? Whether it\u2019s a big thing or a little one, do yourself a favor and try this: \u201cDo not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good<\/i>\u201d (Romans 12:21).<\/p>\n\t

For Further Study<\/h2>\n

Verses to Consider<\/h3>\n