My wife and I were having one of "those" conversations the other day. (come on boys..you know what I'm talking about) one of those conversations where "I" was wrong, and everyone else around me was right, but I had yet to see it that way. We moved from who's right vs who's wrong to just plain old frustrated. Then it became apparent to me, it didn't matter if "I" was right or not. It didn't matter if other people were right or not. What was most apparent, was I was pen ting up anger, and frustration towards groups of people, that in THAT case at least, "I" WAS WRONG, and I needed to check myself, and seek healing. Then came another discussion. THIS one was the one where the iDiOt recognizes he's wrong (not overall...again...up for debate) but that he's wrong in his heart (which is even worse then the actual ORIGINAL debate of me being wrong or right to begin with) then the iDiOt ( BUNNY TRAIL i love referring to myself in the 3rd person with my blog name...) goes into a mass depressive state, with quarters so tight a single piece of sand would find uncomfortable.
My wife then begins her best efforts to comfort me (however I found it completely odd that if she just would have agreed with me in the first place, and allowed me to SMITE those that wronged me, I would have needed no comfort) She begins to encourage me. Here's the thing. I had already heard it before. I realized I have heard every single encouraging word any human can ever utter in the history of existence. I have heard every compliment, every good word, every single encouragement known to man kind. I've heard them from good people, strangers, family, even friends of friends. You name it, I've heard it. But I'm not sure how much of them I actually ever let in, sink in, or marinate in my sometimes dry heart. I simply would either agree, or discard. I then thought, I wonder what the church's Paul wrote to thought. Weather he was encouraging, rebuking, confirming. Was it a (very sarcastic) "HEY GUYS......PAUL'S WRITING AGAIN...LET'S SEE WHAT BRAIN-BUSTERS HE'S DROPPING ON US THIS TIME"? or did they get excited by a letter in wonderment of what words their spiritual daddy was writing. I know if we study the "actions" of those church's we can get a better understanding of their attitude.
What I also know is it's hard for me at times to allow others to encourage me. As a pastor, I feel it's always in my job description (and i really believe it is!) to do that. Maybe it's due to a lack of genuineness, or time span between that at time hardens my hardens my heart. Allowance is more then money you earned as a kid. Allowance, is opening yourself up to be encouraged, strengthened, and loved.
Encourage others, and allow yourself to be encouraged...
11I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith.
...tHe iDiOt....
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