Anonymous asked:

I have a question about respect and leadership. I believe respect (like credibility) is earned. I feel really disrespected by a comment from someone in ministry. I am trying to discern if this is a deeper pride issue that I need to work out between me and God (plank/sawdust), or if I should just learn to NOT take things personally. But it’s hard when we personally invest so much, only to be misunderstood, or treated with contempt. Jesus was never offended. How do I have the right heart to serve?

 

Oh my wonderful friend — if you just knew this is exactly what I often go through every week.  If only God handed out permission slips to slap uppity fools upside their head.  I would need roughly a thousand.

But it’s very easy to see this in black-and-white when it gets more complicated from so many different angles.

I’ve had ministry leaders completely go off on me because they felt disrespected by something I said, and I never meant any disrespect at all.  Maybe I could’ve said it better, or more likely they could’ve handled it better, but it’s tough to say who had the right heart there.

I’ve also felt offended by innocuous comments that I misunderstood as attacks. I tried not to take it personally, but it would lodge like a splinter in my brain for days.  It happens, and again: who was really right?

Then there are times when someone actively disrespects me, which is probably the situation you’re in, and whether they are right or wrong — it hurts.  Is my hurt a good response?  Does it mean we’re selfish?  Can we just brush it off?

Continue reading “Question: Feeling Disrespected in Ministry” →