Fighting Our Flesh: Communication & Relationships

"Be humble. Be gentle. Be patient. Tolerate one another in an atmosphere thick with love. Make every effort to preserve the unity the Spirit has already created, with peace binding you together." Ephesians 4:2-3(VOICE)

This is a LOT easier said than done, am I right?

We have all felt the struggle of overcoming obstacles in relationships. Let's be honest... If there's any way to suck the joy out of a relationship, the enemy usually finds it. We disagree, we get our feelings hurt, we say the wrong thing, we are envied for doing the right thing... The unfairness of life once becomes all too real, and rather than finding a healthy solution to a problem, our stubbornness kicks in.

Have you ever noticed that when we're angry, we are suddenly so set in our ways that we can't imagine being anything but right? In fact, we are so ridiculously right that it doesn't even cross our minds to begin to understand how the other person is feeling. Instead, we practice ignorance... We IGNORE the situation entirely! And you know what? We don't care... We don't think it's wrong to ignore the person or the problem, because we know it's not "our" fault, it's not "our" problem... The issue isn't defining "us". But it is! In the background, completely unbeknownst to us, distance forms, conversations become few; the stubbornness grows, and hearts begin to cool at the mere mention of a person's name. Pretty soon, that person who used to mean so much to you, or that person you KNOW you should have a healthy relationship with, is a mere blip on your radar, only surfacing when it's necessary. In the midst of fueling our own egos, we become apathetic... unmoved... maybe even heartless. We adapt our response to uncomfortability, choosing to be stony and passive. It's in that moment that we officially define that ugly side of ourselves without even realizing it.

Pretty scary, right? Isn't it terrifying to be faced with the reality that we've allowed the enemy to darken our hearts, rather than letting Jesus' light shine through us?

So many scenarios are the simple beginning to some of the worst problems we can make. We each have the opportunity to either let the fire burn us from the inside out, or to walk through it with our head held high, and more often than not, we choose to let the enemy fuel our tempers, rather than practicing the humble, gentle patience that Paul describes in the above scripture. It is much easier to build up hateful emotions toward people than it is to tolerate them and love them despite your differences. It is much more simple to ignore a problem than it is to find peace and preserve the unity of important relationships. Life may seem more pleasant when we simply hit the disconnect button... but is it really? And, even if it is, is it worth sacrificing your calling, or making your life less full, to simply have it easy? My experience is that it's not.

Praying peace, love, and understanding over any individuals struggling to mend the fence today. May this message inspire them to approach life with a Jesus-driven heart.

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14(NIV)