Being misunderstood is one of the most frustrating things for me, especially between people that I sincerely love. Sometimes I feel like a politician, where I have to explain everything, in every way possible so that no one will be offended. Paul said some pretty harsh things, and we today read it knowing his heart, but our culture sure seems to have trouble when another brother or sister tries to express things similarly, all of a sudden we then become someone else, not the person they know in person… I’m not even sure what I’m trying to say here, I guess I’m just venting…
But God just reminded me that it isn’t a reflection on me, it’s simply the filters that each person’s life puts on words. Even when we know a person, and we’ve seen them work in love, our filters can twist words around – the enemy uses our past to mess with our viewpoints. Instead of automatically assuming someone is doing something or saying something in love it comes out instead as religious, legalistic, or any number of other assumptions.
Those that know me personally, know how I am in person, read what I say, as just that, as the Travis you know. I don’t hold anyone to any kind of measure, nor any kind of performance scale – I may be disappointed, I may be trying to express my desire for more, but I completely understand the real life situations of others – which is exactly why we have to be free to express ourselves, even disappointments – otherwise how else can we let true love for each other work if we always have to be concerned that we might offend someone – we gotta be able to speak freely at times, as long as the foundation is in love. Otherwise without love it means nothing and the enemy will steal and destroy.