Lloyd John Ogilvie was the Chaplain of the US Senate from 1995 to 2003. He wrote a book some years ago titled, Falling into Greatness.
In it he tells about an old friend who called him one day. “I can’t talk about it over the phone,” he said, “but I need to see you. I’ve fallen into a terrible thing which I can’t seem to shake.”
They set a time to go to lunch. Ogilvie wondered what terrible thing his friend could possibly have fallen into. The man had once been a staunch Christian, but he had drifted away from the church and from the fellowship of other Christians.
When they sat down for lunch the friend blurted out, “Lloyd, I’ve become a cynic! I’ve become a negative, critical, and sarcastic man.”
Inwardly Lloyd Ogilvie was relieved that his friend was not confessing some heinous sin, but it was clear he was distraught just the same.
Ogilvie writes: “My friend had been jarred by the reality of the kind of person he had become because of an ultimatum his wife had given him. She was not willing to spend the rest of her life with a man who had come to be down on life, people, and even God.
“Several friends had confronted him about his snarling attitude. Three people had resigned from his company because they said they could not work in the negative atmosphere his attitudes had created. The man’s world was falling apart.”
That man by his own admission had become unbearable. Maybe you know somebody like that.
Maybe you’re on YOUR way to becoming somebody like that. It happens, doesn’t it? If so, today would be a good day to reverse YOUR direction.
CHOOSE TO LISTEN TO THOSE WHO BRING OUT YOUR TRUE IDENTITY AS A FOLLOWER OF JESUS!
My Commentary:
In his book Falling into Greatness, Lloyd John Ogilvie tells a story that lands close to home because it names a danger that rarely announces itself — cynicism.
His friend did not fall into scandal or public disgrace. He fell into something quieter and, in many ways, more corrosive. He became negative, critical, and sarcastic. What startled him was not how others saw him, but the sudden realization that this was now who he was. Cynicism had slowly reshaped his soul, his marriage, his friendships, and even his workplace.
That is how cynicism works. It creeps in unnoticed, often disguised as sophistication, realism, or intelligence. Over time it drains joy, erodes trust, and turns faith into suspicion. It does not merely affect opinions. It affects relationships. People pull away. Love grows tired. Hope disappears.
The good news is that awareness is already the beginning of grace. The moment this man could say, “I’ve become someone I don’t want to be,” the door to change cracked open. God can work with honesty like that.
Several times in my own life, I have come to realize, “Laz, you’ve become a CYNIC!” Working to change myself has never been easy. The news every day challenges me to be a Cynic. But I really don’t like myself when I am a Cynic.
If you recognize yourself in this story, take heart. Direction matters more than distance. Today can be a turning point — a day to choose gratitude over grumbling, hope over hardness, and faith over fatigue. Cynicism may be easy to slide into, but it does not have to be where the story ends.
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