I want to be better

I have had problems over the years with people at church. I don't know of anyone - humans, that is - who have not. It goes with the territory: anytime a group of people come together to work on anything there will be opinions which come into the situation. And not all of those opinions are going to line up. Sometimes there are people who have the ability to release their opinions, and that can be good if by 'release' it means to 'let them go.' However it can be bad, if by 'release' it means that they give voice to their opinions and expect everyone else to bow to them and run with them, and generally agree with them. There are plenty of other problems which can come up in the course of people trying to work together. It seems to be just as hard if the people are Godly as not, perhaps because Godly people are often in the midst of doing things which they consider to be of utmost importance.

I am not perfect. I blow it. If that is news to any of you, then God bless you: you have a fine ability to overlook people's flaws, and I admire that. But I do mess up. And, if somebody has a problem with me, or with my way of trying to do something, or with an opinion I 'release,' it is generally most effective if they come and talk to me about it. I don't like to offend people, but I am human and it happens. I try so hard not too, just like you do, but it happens. As I get older, it seems to be happening less often, and I hope that is because I am maturing - finally - and perhaps because I am struggling to be more like Christ. Not having attained perfection, I still press on.

But I have a hot button. Yes, you are reading a confession of a known flaw in my character. I hope once I give vent to it here that I will be held accountable, and that I may even improve in this area. But the 'hot button' is this: if I blow it somehow, you need to tell me. Write me a note, call me, or even get in my face. I'm better with that than the option which seems to be the more common response: go tell somebody else.

Matthew 18:15 says this: If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.

Good word. In case you are wondering, I have just sent off a couple of emails about the situation which caused me to sit down and right this blog. I am trying to take the exact same path that I would want taken with me - I pray that it works.