Learning To Fix the Problem, Not the Blame

In summary of Colossians 3:8 it says, “You must also rid yourself of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.”

Bottom line:

We need to get rid of: anger, rage, talk that hurts people, insults, hateful feelings

What this means to me:

As a follower of Christ, I need to eliminate: anger, bad temper, bad feelings toward others, talk that hurts people, and obscene talk.  This is not so easy!  I read this verse before leaving for work in the morning.  Even reading it and briefly thinking about it didn’t help.  Slow traffic on a day when it is usually very light, seem to set me over the edge and put me behind.  I found myself being impatient and angry.  As the morning progressed it didn’t get much better, as early morning problems and people expectations at work occupied my time.  I think the same thing goes for relationships.  Things did not go as well for me that day either.  Often I just need to let go of my preconceived notion of how things should go and look at and pay attention to what’s happening around me.   I only have a certain amount of emotional energy. In a conversation where I’m trying to resolve conflict, I can either use that energy to fix the blame or I can use that energy to fix the problem. I won’t have enough energy to do both. So I need to learn to ask myself what’s more important, to find or put blame the other person or to resolve the conflict or fix the problem, not the blame.  The Bible is very specific about what’s out of bounds. Colossians 3:8 says, “You must also rid yourself of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips” (NIV). Those are weapons of mass destruction. The reason to fix the problem and not the blame is because blaming is a form of judging, and only God has the right to judge. I’m not the judge. I can’t figure out anybody else’s motivation. I don’t even know my own motivation at times! Only God knows. Let him be the judge.  Just focus on fixing the problem.  In summary I need to get rid of weapons of mass destruction which are: anger, rage, talk that hurts people, insults, hateful feelings