God This Week

Have you ever had to confront someone?

It is not fun and I tend to err in one of two different directions. Either I don’t say anything at all, or I explode in a wash of verbal fury that leaves the person I am talking to singed and trembling in terror. But God is faithful.

I knew for sure that the conversation needed to happen, now what?

I wrote everything out and prayed and was all ready. But then I had a conversation with my oldest about showing people kindness and respect even when we don’t agree with them. Ouch! Boy did I feel the pang of conviction as I looked into his blue eyes and told him these Biblical truths. Would I be able to do the same when the time for the confrontation came? Apparently not, because the planned talk fell through.

Then I went to church. The sermon was on Job’s friends and their attempted “comfort” of the beleaguered Job. Ouch! More conviction more prayers. I thought, now I am ready. Apparently not, the talk fell through again.

I felt a deep conviction that I needed to talk with this person, that did not change, but God gave me the time and the chances that I needed to change and get my heart in the right spot before He tossed me into battle.

Finally, when the confrontation happened and it went fairly well. Much better than it would have if my Lord had not stepped in and gently guided me through the talk with my son and the sermon about bad friends and several weeks of cooling down. God is so amazing to us, when we pause long enough to let Him work.

Thank you Lord for watching out for us, for loving us and teaching us the things that we need to live and be Yours.