Day 20: Teachers And Revealers
A good coach prefers for his or her team to experience a challenging opponent or a difficult game prior to entering a playoff or tournament. This “test” is an incredible teacher. It reveals the weaknesses and strengths that the team possesses. It helps the coach plan a course of action to move the team forward toward being their best.
Difficult people come in all forms and fashions. Co-workers, friends, online, in-person, family, and if we are honest, we are sometimes the worst offenders! Our human reaction is typically to return fire for fire or to remove ourselves from the situation as quickly as possible. The person in these situations is generally viewed as a problem to get through or over.
What if our perspective shifted? What if we took a moment to consider why we got so angry, defensive, or bitter? What if, like a good coach, we leveraged difficult interactions as a way of revealing areas that need to be matured? What if challenging individuals actually teach us how to express the fruit of the Spirit like love, joy, peace, patience, and so on?
The next time you find yourself reacting instead of responding, don’t slip into condemnation or frustration. Allow your interaction to be a teacher that can then guide you into a conversation of confession and mind change with God. Think of challenging and difficult human interactions as a refinement that is preparing you to be all God designed you to be.
Scripture Reading – Matthew 5:43-47
Prayer Prompt:
Think of a challenging person or interaction you’ve recently experienced where you found yourself reacting without Godly character. First, ask God to forgive you, and then take a moment to forgive yourself. Now take some time with God to understand why you reacted the way you did. What was the underlying fear or lie you were believing at that moment? Ask God what He wants you to know about the situation and what truth He wants you to know now.
