This verse isn’t speaking to me. It is screaming at me. There have been a number of recent instances to which I’ve been witness where the parties involved would have been better off if they had remembered it.
One such situation began over a year ago. A colleague bull-rushed a program in at her church in the face of stern opposition. It wasn’t that her congregation didn’t want what she wanted. It was that they had distinct world views that made the implementation of the program fundamentally different. But she didn’t stop long enough to see the big picture. She showed no discretion.
Over a year later, she is still dealing with the fallout of running headlong into an environment and personality pool that she did not understand.
A little discretion and understanding would have protected her and the congregation.
I should have this very tattooed on my forehead. Seriously. I need to read this every day. I can imagine a scenario where discretion and understanding are not beneficial.
Boys,
I am impatient. It’s in your blood. It is going to take a lot of energy and work for you to overcome your baked in impulsiveness. Do the work anyway.
I promise that you will never be sorry if you take some time to understand your surroundings and the people in them before forcing a solution.
Love,
Dad
StainedGlassRebel 