a prayer

Dear Lord,

Please help me like people who strike me as being particularly unlikable.
Help me resist the temptation to punish them for their apparent sins of folly, ignorance or meanness with the greater sin of a direct comment, or (even worse) tearing them apart behind their backs.
Thank you for the patience of those who put up with my weaknesses, and please help me to put up with others'.
Help me to keep my mouth shut when I have nothing constructive to say.
Help me to learn to love the people I have no choice but to spend time with every weekday.
Help me to be the zone of grace in my office, instead of the person with a serpent's tongue.
Change my heart to the degree that I learn to cut off even the mean thoughts before they arise.
Give me your heart of love, O Lord. Because that is how You would want it.
Forgive me for all of the times I have chosen the less kind path.

In Jesus' name, and for His sake,
Amen.