Sitting in an airport socially distanced doesn’t block phone conversations from people behind you. Thus I overheard one-side of an HR discussion while waiting for the flight to Omaha this morning.

A manager recounted her frustration to her manager about someone she was managing. 

“All of them are ___.” (I stop there since she completed the sentence using language too colorful for monochrome print.)

She was recalling coaching her employee to understand people are people. And not always nice.

You might debate her choice of nouns. Her fundamentals were spot on. We all gravitate to self-centered and selfish. 

We tend to mimic profane parts of the body more than the beautiful.

Self-preservation. Self-fulfillment. Self-satisfaction. Paint by numbers however I want. Self always materializes at the center of my portrait.

We can strive against it. We should strive against it. Those of us inhabitated by the Spirit of Jesus possess divine ability to that end. 

But the selfish part never leaves. “What’s in it for me” never fully fades to black. Every waking moment leads to a wrestling for position. Every thought tugs that way.

Jesus’ Spirit helps me break the monotony of simply living for me. Deep sigh.

Even more Jesus’ Spirit frees me from the consequences of that desire never going away. Really deep sigh.

His grace keeps pace with my colorful nature every waking moment. Fades it to monochrome in my Father’s eyes.

Especially when I’m one of the ones someone’s complaining about to her manager.