I Suck – You Suck – We all Suck
We all do terrible things – either intentionally or unintentionally, we all participate in casting some degree of negativity on the people and conditions around us – it’s kind of who we are as humans – our basic nature has an imbedded propensity to rub each other the wrong way.
The textbook solution for our predisposition to stir up trouble is to avoid it – which is hilarious, since it’s part of our human nature – however, I think its accurate that we can become better at avoiding it, if we truly make repeated and diligent efforts to avoid it – that being said, we’re still going to be guilty of mudding up someone’s day every now and then.
Now the point – there are two basic environments that we may find ourselves rattling the cages of those around us – one environment is with strangers, and the other is with people we know.
Strangers are like wild cards – we never know what we’re going to get – we can sometimes get under the skin of a stranger without even knowing it – we live in a time that mishaps can flare up without warning and erupt into conflict – in cases like this it’s really important to be sure of who we are, what we should reflect, and what’s really central to us – I’ll circle back to this point a little further down.
On the other hand, people we know are NOT like wild cards – in fact, it’s implied that we have some level of knowledge about the these people – they also have some knowledge of who we are – meaning, this insight can contribute to our ability to get along, avoid conflict, and spend time together without drama – also equally important, even with people we know, we need to be sure of who we are, what we should reflect, and what’s really central to us.
Whether we’re with strangers or people we know, the potential for conflict is a natural factor – NOTE: this is a good place to start paying attention – kept in the correct perspective, the potential for conflict can actually be leveraged as more of an opportunity for something positive – perhaps an occasion for reflecting Christ in our lives instead of a path towards hurt or trouble – the fact that a conflict arose could be the perfect chance for us to be who we claim to be – the heart, hands and feet of Christ.
Now, many of you are thinking, Kevin this is the dumbest point you’ve ever made – no Believer would ever pass on an opportunity to share Christ – perhaps…
In reality we sometimes pass up on opportunities to share Christ – and sometimes we do it angrily, deliberately, loudly, vulgarly, and with no reflection of Christ anywhere in our discourse – I find myself falling into this trap all the time – please consider these actual conversations, posts, tweets, and shares from church people, church groups, church leaders – from our own (churchy) words, these behaviors routinely interrupt our opportunities to share Christ with others because we chose a different path:
When our politics carried more weight than our witness.
When our compassion was watered down by indifference.
When our desire to minister was prejudiced.
When our empathy was suffocated by agendas.
When our kindness was conditional.
When standing up for equitable justice was not equally applied.
When our facilities, homes, and resources were unavailable to the unhoused, hungry, and disadvantaged.
When our voices were absent in support of the unjustly persecuted, denied, disenfranchised, and abused.
When comfort and convenience managed our caring and sharing.
This list could go on, and on… – truthfully, we will never see eye to eye on all things with all people – conflict is natural…
…but nothing should ever come between us and a chance to share Christ – not politics, worldly agendas, social influences, personal preferences, historical wrongs, talking heads, voting issues, boarders, racial issues, income barriers, court rulings, elections, economic stressors, international conflicts, intellectual arguments, taxes, etc., etc., etc – nothing on this list has more weight than, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
How about you? Are you sometimes more motivated to address conflicts from a world view, rather than God’s calling for your life? I know sometimes I am – we can do better – we can be better – don’t suck.
Kevin's Thoughts 