FAILURE TO CONFRONT

 There have been times when I have been blindsided by a comment.  My "go to" response is to withdraw ~say nothing at all.  Manners were grilled into my head from a very early age.  Rude behavior should not be repaid by returning the rudeness.  As you all know, I also am a "ponderer".  I am going to take what is said to me, Good, Bad, or Indifferent and rehash it before reacting.  Hastily responding has often lead to regret.  I firmly believe in measuring how I am going to respond.    I take to heart this verse~





No response though is NOT necessarily  the best way to handle things.  No response can become a response.  The key to responding is the tone of your response.  Today's devotional addressed this very subject.


"People sometimes think that gentleness and humility mean giving way in every situation, but Jesus was not afraid of confrontation.  Failure to confront is in itself a decision with consequences. "( My failure to confront or respond becomes a classic passive aggressive retort. )" Conflict and confrontation are never easy but, wisely applied, they are a necessary part of being good and courageous ."


This leads me to believe the key to response is never allowing it to escalate to anger, but instead responding in a wise and calm manner.  There are those who will verbally provoke you.  A calm reply will often disarm the provocation.


"You keep him in perfect peace

whose mind is stayed on you,

because he trusts in You."

Isaiah 26:3


4 comments

  1. Not allowing our responses to escalate into anger is key, Lulu. May we all take a step back from ourselves and the situation before we just jump in with an "answer."
    Blessings!

    ReplyDelete
  2. It's like the older I get, the less I shoot my mouth off. Either I've learned the hard way ... or I'm just responding slower and slower.

    Whatever, I wish you a lovely weekend, friend!

    ReplyDelete

Your comments keep my writing and often cause me to think. A written form of a hug or a pat on the back and an occasional slap into reality---I treasure them all!