Ordained Minister’s Online Guide to Pastoring, Personal Development, & Church Leadership
By Michael Mooney, Ministry Practitioner
We Christians are an interesting breed because we all generally believe we hear from God. What becomes remarkable is when we misinterpret the voices of our egos as the prompting of the Holy Spirit. This is probably the single biggest reason for the breaking of fellowship between Brothers and Sisters in the faith.
Consider this outline:
1) Two Christians meet each other and form a friendship around their faith.
2) One fails to meet the others expectations and then they communicate that disappointment.
3) The other responds with resentment.
4) At this point both begin to question the other one’s competence.
The relationship spirals downward until dissolution.
In such as situation, both individuals believe that they are correct and that the Holy Spirit has given them insight into the other person’s life.
But what about themselves? Ahhh…that is the question that goes unconsidered.
Questions for Reflection:
How have you seen this pattern take place in times past?
How can knowing the above help you to prevent the loss of future friendships/relationships?
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Sources:
Influencing With Integrity Management Skills for Communication and Negotiation, (1997) Genie Z. Laborde