I'm Mildly Discomforted

A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth.

2 Timothy 2:24-25 

 

I admit it, I can be a bit of an antagonist at times, usually more for my own selfish amusement rather than seeking to justify a position on a topic.  As a matter of fact, I was wholeheartedly in favor of school segregation with the students being in one building and the teachers in a completely different building.  It actually sounded quite advantageous to me....my parents, on the other hand, found no amusement in my ideas

 

As I have gotten older, I have witnessed countless protests and groups of people being offended by some other group.  We become offended because of the tiniest and, yes, silliest things.  It's as if we seek out reasons to be offended.  Everyone is so busy being upset and offended that no one seems to be returning to common sense or seeking actual solutions to REAL issues!

 

Here's my point, Paul reminds us that we are to be kind to all.  Imaging how disarming  simply being kind and respectful can be?  You see, when we get upset because others are upset, what difference are we making?  However, if we remain calm when everyone else is upset, people will notice and begin to ask questions as to why we are different.

 

And here's one truth to always keep in mind; THIS isn't our real home anyway!  We are merely passing through for a few short years. And spending those few short years angry, upset, frustrated, and generally unpleasant to be around, is not very appealing, is it?

Rule of Thumb

Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger. 

James 1:19 

 

There are those who seem to enjoy offending people. There are those who seem to take great joy in being loudly offended.  Yet what does this prove?  That we have chosen to remain in childhood perhaps? That we choose to through temper tantrums as children on a playground?  Honestly, I do not believe that is the intent, rather, perhaps we have forgotten one simple fact: While we all occupy this blue marble in the cosmos, we are individuals who have been gifted with the ability to think and decide for ourselves.  And it would seem that we have forgotten a piece of wisdom: Be quick to listen...Slow to speak...slow to anger.

 

How many have decided, upon hearing some opinion, to bypass all of that and go straight to being angry.  Not just angry, but very loudly angry.  Why? Because we seem to have forgotten the truth of the matter, which is simple: If I disagree with something you post, I have the power to NOT read it.  If I disagree with someone in political office, I have the power to exercise my vote.  If I disagree with some sports personality, I have the power to simply change the channel or not attend events where that personality will be present.

 

We MUST learn that we must be quick to hear (which includes pondering the truth), Slow to speak (if what I have to say is not a beneficial resolution, why say it?), and Slow to Anger (what purpose does it serve if I am a hothead who becomes vocally indignant?).  We must learn that, as adults, we have been called to engage in discourse to seek mutually acceptable solutions.  The Apostle Paul said, "When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things."  Children are prone to tantrums when they don't get their way, yet parents teach their children to learn better methods of dealing with difficult situations...or at least parents should be teaching this.

 

When do we stop all the bickering and learn to discuss? 

Prepare To Be Offended!

¹⁵ As Jesus was at supper in his house, many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples. For there were many, and they followed Him. ¹⁶ When the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”

¹⁷ When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Mark 2:15-17 

Have you noticed how much time and energy we waste being offended and defensive?  Someone says something that hurts our feelings, and we break out in the "I'm offended" song and dance.  Someone does something that we don't agree with and we put on the "Time to be Defensive" mask and wreak havoc.  And the sad part is, we don't care about the TRUTH because we can make anything we want sound like the "truth" if we say it enough and loud enough.  Now, what is the purpose for our being offended? 

The "Church Folk" got very offended because Jesus chose to befriend, care for, and even *gasp* eat with the outcasts of the Jewish Society.  Jesus was invited by Levi (Matthew) to come to his home for a banquet with the only other people who would accept Levi....other outcasts, the dregs of Jewish Society, the "undesirables" and, here's the part that was so offensive, Jesus accepted the invitation!

Mark records that the Scribes and Pharisees SAW Jesus eating with this collection of riff raff.  This means they were either following Jesus around just to be judgmental of Him or they heard a banquet going on to which they had not been invited and came to be judgmental of the host.  Either way, they were offended because of Jesus' actions.

The Scribes and Pharisees spoke loud enough (or were standing close enough) to be heard over the banquet saying, "How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?" because, you understand, the "Church Folk" are always perfect and above reproach.  Notice how Jesus chose to answer them, not with judgement but with a simple analogy.  He simply said, "Those who are not sick don't need to go to the doctor, but those who ARE sick do."  And then Jesus states the remarkable, "I did not come to call the 'Perfect Church Folk' to repent, but I came to call those who know they need a new beginning to make that change."

So the question for us becomes, do we need a new beginning or are we already perfect?  Think about it honestly and truthfully.  A new beginning means CHANGES must be made and, as humans, don't like change even if it's good for us.