They were at loggerheads. It started off with a frustrated comment about a church member’s absence from the annual church meeting. When the guilt-trip did not have the desired impact, the conversation spiraled into accusations of being hard, selfish, and cruel. From being frustrated at the lack of attendance at a church meeting, the person now heard “you disappoint me.”
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Have you heard this phrase before? It means that if you can think positively—put a positive spin on your problem, it won’t be so hard. As you know if you’ve tried this, the effect can be good, but it is rarely a lasting one. You can “think positive” about something for a time, but reality usually dictates that when something is difficult, one’s thinking about it can’t stay positive for long.
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Maybe you are an introvert like me, and you just don’t want to put yourself out there. You’re not willing to be vulnerable in this way. Maybe you are of the mindset that you don’t have time for any more friends, so you keep your eyes on the horizon as you walk through the halls at church, and you breathe a sigh of relief when you make it to the car without being stopped. I have to admit, this has described me a time or two. I like to make productive use of my time, and chatting in the hallways does not usually seem to fit that goal.
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Many years ago, a woman proclaimed to me that her husband wasn’t a Christian because he didn’t meet the checklist she had in her Bible. Unfortunately, I see a lot of self-righteousness in the spiritually superior woman. Because of this, she becomes very unpleasant to live with. She believes she knows more about the Bible (and biblical parenting) than her husband ever will, and she lets him know that by undermining nearly every attempt at spiritual headship he makes.
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What if we made our tone more winsome, less negative, or more redemptive? Rather than simply posting and commenting and tweeting about what we are against, what if we focus instead on using redemptive language? Redemptive language would be gospel-motivated and gospel-rich, bringing the reader’s attention to Christ, and to God’s Word. We have a hope that is far greater than today’s current political, cultural, and moral climate. If we simply state what we are against, without giving a reason for the hope that we have, then isn’t our gospel witness hindered?
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