Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18 (NIV)
Have you ever been hurt by the words or actions of another? What was your reaction? Why were you offended? These are questions that are very important to ask of yourself whenever you are dealing with another human being. We all have expectations of other people and when they let us down, we will react. The important thing is to react in a way that will both be sure to keep the door closed to the evil one and be glorifying to God.
When we are offended by word or deed, it may be real or imagined. Someone may say something in just a certain way, and we think they are condemning us or making fun of us. In reality, they may not even be aware of what they have done. And they may never know unless we tell them. Mis-communication, real or imagined, can grow and fester into a really big problem unless we deal with it.
Let’s look at one of the reasons why we may react a certain way we do. That reason is called Pride. Let me give you an example. Several weeks ago I left three messages for a friend of mine to call me. He never did. I took offense that he couldn’t find the time to return a simple call and that I guess I just wasn’t important enough. How dare he, I thought! If that was the way he wanted to be, then fine. I didn’t need to take time to communicate with him either. The sad thing is that when I finally did confront him about it, he thought he had already given me an answer to the information I was seeking and really didn’t remember receiving the messages. This problem with this specific relationship seems to be resolved.
Then I have another friend whom I have e-mailed a couple of times as well as have called and left a message, but they too seem to be too busy to reply to me. It seems like the only time they want to make contact is when they need something from me. I’m thinking, "Gosh, I am more than just a ministry resource. I’m a person too." So that old spirit of pride creeps in and I think "Well to heck with her! I have plenty of other friends who appreciate me." And if the fact be known, she probably doesn’t even realize that I’m upset. Pride would say "She wouldn’t even care if she did know." Someday I may find out. I have not as of this writing had any communication with her for a couple of weeks. (So there you have it. I’m only human. I too have faults -but I’m working on them!! )
So what if I had approached my friends right away in regards to how I was feeling? I would imagine that I would be spending less time in resentment and anger. But those can be kinda fun to wallow in for a while, can’t they? Bottom line is that I have allowed pride to come in and keep me from keeping the lines of communication open. By taking offense at something they have or have not done, which they don’t even realize they have done, is certainly not glorifying to God. Instant Communication in regards to my feelings would have made me feel a whole lot better, a whole lot sooner.
The neat thing about mistakes is that they keep you humble and you learn from them. Even us communication guru’s can be reminded of a thing or two! Be blessed!