Forest Fires of Contention
Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to another: Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thine infamy turn not away.
Proverbs 25:9-10
Too often, it is more convenient to vent our frustrations about an individual to someone else rather than simply confronting the issue. And then the rumor begins and it spreads like a forest fire. It devours everything in its path and leaves nothing but ruin in its wake. And you have the same feeling of desolation when you are finally approached by the offending individual and challenged with your own statement. We are now put on the defensive trying to justify our statement that has come full circle and left a path of destruction in its wake.
While we may be able to explain the cause of our initial frustration and work through the differences with the individual, we can not remove the pain and hurt caused by the vicious rumors that circulated. Solomon urges us in the verses above to simply work through the issue with the offending party and stop the gossip. While our frustration and/or intimidation may not make it easy to address the issue, the results are much less painful than the embarrassment associated with the rumor coming full circle. And the results will have a greater chance of success if we approach the situation with a Christ-like love rather than a confrontational approach. Remember, Jesus rebuked those around Him but we never hear of Him gossiping!
Join me in resolving to directly approach annoying situations or to keep my comments to myself. As the commercial goes, "Only you can prevent forest fires" of contention.
Proverbs 25:9-10
Too often, it is more convenient to vent our frustrations about an individual to someone else rather than simply confronting the issue. And then the rumor begins and it spreads like a forest fire. It devours everything in its path and leaves nothing but ruin in its wake. And you have the same feeling of desolation when you are finally approached by the offending individual and challenged with your own statement. We are now put on the defensive trying to justify our statement that has come full circle and left a path of destruction in its wake.
While we may be able to explain the cause of our initial frustration and work through the differences with the individual, we can not remove the pain and hurt caused by the vicious rumors that circulated. Solomon urges us in the verses above to simply work through the issue with the offending party and stop the gossip. While our frustration and/or intimidation may not make it easy to address the issue, the results are much less painful than the embarrassment associated with the rumor coming full circle. And the results will have a greater chance of success if we approach the situation with a Christ-like love rather than a confrontational approach. Remember, Jesus rebuked those around Him but we never hear of Him gossiping!
Join me in resolving to directly approach annoying situations or to keep my comments to myself. As the commercial goes, "Only you can prevent forest fires" of contention.
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