iShineInMinistry

James. 3:17-18 "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peace-able, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy...

Sometimes my first thought when dealing with people is to help them understand a point I'm trying to make. Sadly, communication is not everyone's strong suit anymore, probably because of the joys of modern technology, which allows us to just shoot off a message without fully explaining anything. Texting, tweets and emails allow us to just get to the point, whether or not the receiving person understands doesn't always concern us as long as we have "said it". I am not one of these people. I love to explain and communicate in such a way that there is no misunderstanding; I love the gift of thoroughness. Unfortunately, sometimes people just don't get it...in those times, I have two choices.

I can talk until I'm blue in the face in hopes that something finally clicks. This usually causes me frustration and I begin to flesh out and wonder "Why aren't they as smart as me?" Yes I know this is the exact opposite of a gracious and humble way to respond, but that's just where my mind wanders first. Then, I have to remember to be loving and kind, esteeming others higher than myself and choose to be peaceable and gentle as I figure out how to respond to the situation. Usually what ends up happening is that I get to be willing to yield with regard to my speech and just shut my mouth.

I think in our culture the desire to always be the person who is 'right' can also make us the person that is self-righteous. When we are constantly in that state of trying to make everyone understand that what we think is better, we are erring on the side of prideful and arrogant, two things that Jesus was not in His character. We always need to remember to stop, pray, think, listen and respond in a godly manner; otherwise we may be right with a dulled light for Jesus.

Let's make an effort to put on those attributes that make us kindly affectionate to one another, gracious and loving, so that as we communicate our words and actions will always bring glory to God.

How do you respond to be people when they don't understand you? Are you an argumentative person that always wants to be right? What character traits of Jesus are you showing in these moments?