Every now and then I feel the need to vent my frustration. I joke around with Jarod Anderson and my wife (the usual audience of my venting) that it's "the Old Testament prophet in me." The prophets of old were the guys that God sent to warn folks that things have gone way too far. "Turn or Burn!" is the gist of it and sometimes I want to grab folks by the shoulders and scream this at them for their own good.
I have three or four items that have me so upset that I'm nearly cross-eyed over them. I want to call certain individuals or march right over and give 'em a piece of my mind (or at least blog about it) but I'm going to try and hold back for a few reasons.
First, I don't want to get it wrong, especially after naming names. Some of the people in the wrong are removed from me by three or four degrees of seperation and I don't want to slander someone I don't know based on bad info or gossip. So it's probably a good idea not to put it on the internet.
Second, if I would go pray about it, I'd feel a lot less angry and a lot more willing to extend grace, as one sinner to another. I just react badly to folks who are unrepentant and stubbornly refuse to do the right thing, even though they know better. GRRR!!!!
*gets up and walks around muttering for a few minutes*
Ok I'm back…
Finally, there are select times in life when rebuke is effective and helpful, but it's not always the right approach. If it becomes the default for handling crises, then we're in real trouble. There's a saying that "if your only tool is a hammer, then everything begins to look like a nail." Some situations need an approach other than "bull in a China closet," or as I like to call it, "Kansas tact."
God grant me the patience and grace to love people, especially the bone-headed, self-centered, inconsiderate, unthinking, opportunistic jerks. Amen.
Ah, I feel better already.
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