May 17th, 2012

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Confrontation

Thursday, May 17th, 2012

 

HONEST CONFESSION TIME: I hate confrontation.

I fit right in with George McFly who tells Marty, “I know.  I know what you are thinking son, and you’re right!  But Biff just happens to  be my boss and I guess I’m not very good at confrontation (as he flexes his hand).”  And unless I miss my guess there aren’t a whole of people who really like to do it.   There will be the occasional brave person who relishes confronting others, but for the most part we don’t like to do it…unless it is the last resort (and even then we procrastinate).

I read a funny illustration in preparation for this week’s message.  Sven and Hulda, a Scandinavian couple, were Christians.  They  sang in the choir, they were at Sunday School every Sunday, they had prayer at every meal, they went to all the church functions.  But they could not get along.  At home, it was terrible: bickering, complaining, fussing.  After both of them had devotions one morning, separately, of course, Hulda said to Sven, “You know, Sven, I been tinking.  I got de answer to dis hopeless problem we’re livin wit. I tink ve should pray for de Lord to take vun of us home to be with Him. And then Sven, I could go live wit my sister.”   Yeah, I laughed hard.  Doesn’t take much you know?  😛

Sure is a strange way of confronting a problem don’t you think?   Even when confrontation needs to take place there is a right way and a wrong way, a right time and wrong time to do so.  Love finds no joy in sin.  Love doesn’t pander in wrong things.  But there are some interesting thoughts I will be covering this week:

LOVE BEARS ALL THINGS

LOVE BELIEVES ALL THINGS

LOVE HOPES ALL THINGS

LOVE ENDURES ALL THINGS

Oh yeah…one more…

LOVE NEVER ENDS.

When we love someone, we take the entire package.  No picking and choosing. No large helping of what we like and skimping or passing over that which we don’t.   Knowing what to allow and when to confront is the tricky part in all of this.

What are your thoughts on this?  Are you a confronter?  Do you wait until the last possible moment to do so?  How do you take confrontation when it is directed toward you?

Thanks to Dan for the banner.  Thanks to you for your prayers.   We continue meeting at the SDA church while the renovation continues.  Monday the contractor begins.  YEAH!!!!

Posted in Christian living, Church, Family, Preaching, Scripture look, Sermon Series/Topic | 22 Responses »

Grass

Thursday, May 17th, 2012

NO…NOT THAT KIND!

Throughout my life, I have been taught and have also taught that the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence.   We look and envy others. Financially.  Marriage.  Property.  Image. (fill in the blank).

I have been working on a sermon series I will be preaching this summer on the life of David.  One of the striking things about David is the choice for him to become king.  That came as a result of the disobedience of Saul, which came as a result of the disobedience of the people of Israel.  God had been using Judges to rule His people, but during the time of Samuel they began to clamor for a king.  First, they weren’t thrilled with Samuel’s choice of predecessors- his sons.  I tend to think they weren’t too thrilled with it either.  Second, they wanted a king like all the other people/nations have.  In essence, they looked at the grass on the other side of the fence and liked what they saw.  It was the solution to their whole problem, or so they thought.  What they didn’t realize was that God was thoroughly displeased.   In fact, I Samuel 8:7 says, “The Lord said to Samuel, ‘Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.’ ” 

They were saying that God was not enough for them!!

What they did find out was that the grass was not greener on the other side.  Saul was a miserable and lousy king.   But they got what they asked for.  Psalm 106:15 says, “He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul.”  (NKJV).   Getting what we want is not always the best.  We need to keep in mind that God wants our best.  He really does, and when something we have asked for doesn’t come our way, He has a reason for it.   Accepting it though is tough.  We still think we know best.   Using the above Scripture from Psalm 106 I think it is good to ask a question:  will getting what I ask for bring leanness or health to my soul?  Instead of pushing the envelope, maybe we need to pause and give it a rest.  I think this blog tackles that idea rather well.

What do you think?  Have you tried to force an issue with God and afterwards found out it was not the best idea?  What did you learn? Was the ever a time that you stopped pushing and paused, only to find it was the best thing you did?  

Posted in Christian living, Just Wondering, Leadership | 24 Responses »