QTIP

Did you know most people have been using cotton swabs wrong all their lives? We use them in an effort to help us hear better by plunging them in our ear to clean out the wax.

Here are some of the reasons Q-tips are not good for us:

Because the manufacturer warns against it.
Q-tips are a major consumer product, if not the only, whose common use is precisely the one the manufacturer explicitly warns against, stating: “do not insert inside the ear canal” on every box of Q-tips. Today, there is not a single ear on the official Q-tips website. 

Because the medical industry warns against it.
Dennis Fitzgerald, an otolaryngologist in Washington says, “When I treat people with recurring ear problems, I make them promise they’re going to throw away their Q-tips and never buy them again. The ones who keep coming back with infections are the ones who don’t listen.” “If it were up to me, they wouldn’t be on the market,” he adds.

Because you don’t want to puncture the most delicate part of your ear—the ear drum.
The shape, size, and texture of cotton swabs is such that inserting them into your ears tends to push wax inwards, toward your ear drum, rather than take it out. This can even make you lose your hearing in your ear forever.

Because they’re one of most common contributors to ear problems.
These cotton swabs being exactly the same size of the ear canal, can induce hearing loss. Once inserted in to the ear, they can rupture the ear drum or damage the small middle ear bones if deeply inserted.

Last, but not the least—don’t remove the ear wax.
What you’re actually taking out is supposed to be in there, the naturally produced ear wax. Ear wax can in fact be compared to tears, which help lubricate and protect our eyeballs. Wax does something similar for the inner walls of the ear canal. So, leave the wax in your ears because it waterproofs them. It’s also a natural antibiotic and acidic in nature as it prevents severe infection in your ears.

Most of us still use Q-tips—despite all the warnings—why would we do that? I mean if even the manufacture of the product says don’t us it in our ears… I wonder who told us it was a good idea? Who have we been listening to all these years?

We are told not to stick a Q-tip in our ear as it can ultimately affect our listening. But what about “sticking” negative things in our ears? If we are not careful with what is going in our ears, in other words, what/who we are listening to we are in danger of hurting ourselves in the long run. I wondered what does the Creator of the Universe say about it?  

Ecclesiastes 7:19-25

In verse 19, following the paragraph containing the paradox (Ecclesiastes 7:15-18), he writes, “Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten rulers of the city.” So Solomon made the accumulation of wisdom a major goal in his life, saying in verse 23, “I will be wise.” He wanted to be strong and able to confront all circumstances that beset him. He sought to be prepared.

In verse 25, he expands on his goal: “I applied my heart to know, to search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things.” This is a goal all of us should have. Wisdom does not stand alone. It is a result, built on true knowledge and understanding that a person accumulates along the way to attaining wisdom. All of these will serve us well in life, not only spiritually, but also in family life, business, and civic responsibilities in our communities.

It is interesting that in his search for wisdom, what he discovered may have also included insight into his personal defects. One of these may be revealed in verse 20, “For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin.” Another may appear in verses 21–22, “Also do not take to heart everything people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. For many times, also, your own heart has known that even you have cursed others.” We can take these statements as encouragement not to allow what we hear or listen to deter us from continuing on, despite how it affects us personally.

So what does this have to do with the Q-tip?

Well, instead of using the Q-tip for a negative impact on us we can turn it around for good.

Using the word Q-TIP we can say, “Quit Taking It Personal!” 

This doesn’t mean that unacceptable behavior has no consequences; however, QTIP gives a tactic to gain perspective it allows us to separate ourselves from challenging emotions and reactions.

Although it’s easy to suggest that one should just “stop taking things so personally”, it’s another thing to put the kind of thinking in action that diminishes the emotional reaction that takes place when triggered. Below are a few things you can do to QTIP!

So how do we break free from our tendency to connect the dots and continually draw wrong conclusions? How do we stop putting things in our ears that may hurt us?

Here are some simple reasons NOT to take things personally:

It’s Usually Not Personal. 
Take things personally, it’s usually almost completely due to how we have perceived what has happened – not about what has actually happened. We have a tendency to want to react in anger, but we would be best to seek comfort from God.  When somebody has said something to you or about you, think about the beliefs you have about what happened and consider the possibility that your beliefs or assumptions may be wrong. 

It’s a Trap. 
The enemy knows what places in us still need healing and renewal. He knows where we’re weary, hurting, and vulnerable. He’s masterful at orchestrating circumstances designed to double us over. What to do? We raise our shield of faith (see Ephesians 6:16), and we refuse to take the bait. We find our joy in Christ and trust Him to tell us what’s true. We listen to Him and trust He will offer any correction we need in merciful manner. We also do as Solomon did by gaining insight into our own personal defects, because we all do have them. Recognizing our own insecurities or triggers will help us manage what we listen to. Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves (II Corinthians 13:5). This is where Celebrate Recovery is so helpful to find hope and healing along with a safe environment to explore those personal defects.   

Hurt people hurt people. 
Even if someone means to hurt us by their words, actions or their apathy, we must not allow it to damage our soul. When we listen to the negative it is like sticking a Qtip in your ear and pushing the wax down further.  It ends up hurting us in the long run. But…. Why shouldn’t we take it personally when we hear things that are not true or the motives are to cause harm?  Because we belong to Jesus, and He taught us how to overcome. One of the signs of spiritual maturity is our ability to process our hurts in a Christlike way and come out the other side with a firmer grasp of what’s actually true. Jesus said, “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:27-28). Jesus goes on to say, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). The ultimate standard is set here.  Mark 4:24 tells us to “Be careful what you are hearing”.  

God Has Called You to Something Greater. 
God is always writing a bigger story than we can see at the moment. The enemy works tirelessly to keep us in the smaller story of the daily dramas of life. God wants to do in us and through us above and beyond all we could ever dare to ask or imagine (see Ephesians 3:20-22). Though it’s not always easy, we need to stay on mission, refuse distraction, and Mark 4:24 tells us to “Be careful what you are hearing”.  

It’s important that we apply godly wisdom to all relationships we’re in. There are times when we will allow ourselves to endure unhealthy relationships because we believe it’s our duty or because it brings us to a place of meekness that honors Christ. While God instructs us to take up our cross and follow Christ, it’s important to discern what God is really telling us through the confusion we’re experiencing. The closer you become with the Scripture; the more God will speak to you about the relationships you’re in. He may be calling you to realign some relationships. In these circumstances where you begin to limit the influence of the person, it doesn’t mean that you will no longer love, forgive or pray for that person. It just means that you no longer allow them to take up so much space or energy in your life. You listen to the Holy Spirit and not the negative chatter. Also, remember we don’t just listen with our ears, but with our eyes… we watch people to see if they are who they say they are… maybe that’s the process of the ear wax keeping our eyes lubricated. We must understand the fruit of the spirit and stay alert.

Keep Your Power

Remind yourself people will be who they are whether you are there or not. They will say what they say and even if it is true or not. It’s our ego that takes things personally. Adjust expectations of others and yourself. Recognize When we react (emotionally or behaviorally) to the actions of others—and constantly take things very personally, we give away our power. We are puppets, simply reacting to the world around us. We have given up our control. We suffer. Remembering that we have some say in how much of that Power we want to give up, can help us keep it.  Your ears will be tuned into the whispers of the Holy Spirit. you must listen to the Holy Spirit more than you do self or people of the world. The Bible says seven times, He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith (Revelation 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22). The Bible wouldn’t tell us to listen to the Holy Spirit if it was impossible for us to do that.

God is Your Defender

We can take comfort in God being our defender. Even when what we hear may be corrective, a negative or painful critique it’s wise to learn from it. We must know that God has promised to forgive us, cleanse us, and defend us before a watching world. He’s not looking for perfection. He loves it when we trust Him.

In Paul’s letter to the believers in Rome, he reminds them who they are because of who Jesus is. This word is for us too. It’s a lengthy passage, but worth the read:

Romans 8:31-34,38-39 (NLT):

What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself.  Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So, in conclusion Quit Taking It Personal! The wax in your ear is there to protect your ear and to lubricate your eyeballs so you can hear and see Word of God.