Warrior, Wimp, or What?!

Psalm 35 has David praying for God to fight his battles for him.  His enemies are constantly plotting for his downfall, and he begs God to save him.  He is lied about, has traps set for him, and is made fun of.  So, he prays for his enemies and begs God to protect and save him.

Okay, maybe you've got some people in your life that treat you this way.  Maybe there is a person, or a group of people, who are making life so difficult for you at home, work, or at school.  They push you out, speak poorly of you, and want to see you fail.  What do you do?

Read Psalm 35.  David turns to God for protection and help.  And he prays for his enemies.

No, I'm being serious, this is what he does.  Now, remember who David is.  This is the guy who killed a bear and a lion when he was just a kid working as a shepherd.  This is the kid who ran face to face with a giant, dropped him with a rock, and cut off his head.  This is the dude who won more battles than any general before him.  This guy is a warrior among warriors.  He knows how to fight, he knows how to kill, and he is always surrounded by a group of men who would happily kill for him. 

So why in the world is he praying for God to protect him instead of doing it himself??!!  Because it's the right way to handle the conflict in this situation.  It's what God wants.

How are you handling your conflict?  Have you asked God about that plan?  Have you read Psalm 35 yet?

Get to it!

Go, Go, and Go

As a pastor, a lot of people want to tell me what a lot of other people are doing wrong. It's so funny how I constantly find myself in the seat of someone who is expected to be peacemaker/cop for folks in our church.

I'm not talking about the people who come to me and ask for me to pray for them for their issues, nor am I talking about the folks who come in and tell me about their personal problems, and want help to resolve them.

I'm talking about the people who are mad at someone else, and want me to go fix things for them. This is why Matthew 18:15-20 is so important in our church. It lays out a plan to take responsibility for ourselves. If someone else is sinning, go talk to them yourself. If they won't listen, take a couple of neutral people, and go talk to them again. If that doesn't work, then involve the church and the leadership. If that doesn't solve it, then it is safe to assume that they are not following God and treat them like a friend who doesn't know Jesus.

It's a simple plan. But it takes courage and humility to do well. What if we all lived by this set of guidelines though? Man, things would run so much better.

So, I really want to push all of us, let's make a habit of dealing with conflict among ourselves the way Jesus lays out His plan. It works. I've seen it work. And it gives Him a chance to bring healing.

Well worth the effort.