I came home to my downstairs neighbors music thumping so loud that we could hear the lyrics to the songs in our apartment. This went on for over 3 hours (6:30-9:30) with us doing everything we could to get their attention, but they wouldn't come to the door to turn it down. Finally, at 9:30 there was a confrontation between me and the neighbor, because of my pounding on his front door as if to wake the dead.
The neighbor poked his nose out of the blinds and I asked him to please turn down the music. He opened the front door and proceeded to tell me that he would and that they just turned it on, to which I replied, "No sir, it has been on since 6:30 and we've been knocking since 7:45PM." He proceeded to talk about my daughters and how they make so much more noise for them. So basically, he is stooping down to the level of a couple of elementary school age girls (6 & 9). I didn't like how he was talking about my girls and telling me to "control them". I don't remember what I said next, but I know that my tone was not the best and that my adrenaline was pumping so hard, because he is a big guy and I thought that it was going to break into something more than just spoken words.
When I got back upstairs the only thing that I could think about was, "Did I represent Christ or His love in that encounter, my first encounter face to face, with our neighbor? Did how that go down help to point him toward Christ?" This has been tugging at my heart since last night. Check out this passage from Galatians 5.22-26 (NIV):
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.I am batting 100% for not having those qualities alive in me last night. I was way past my point of fruit of the Spirit. Then I thought, or better rationalized, that my behavior was protecting my daughters and family. Yeah that is what I was doing. But really?
Paul goes on to write in Philippians 2.14-16:
Do everything without complaining or arguing, (NIV) (readily and cheerfully -- no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! MSG) so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life (Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. MSG)Ouch! That hurts. So I didn't start the confrontation with him in the right manner. How would I expect him to respond when some one is banging on his door with obvious frustration and anger? How would I expect the conversation to go when it was started with anger on both sides?
How are you shining? Are you shining so that people receive a breath of fresh air? Are you holding out the word of life? Are you providing people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God?
None of us are perfect, but all of us are forgiven. Forgiven by He who exemplifies the fruit of the Spirit. To forgive takes more than just saying, "I'm sorry." It takes humility and the acceptance of peoples flaws. We are called to be Christ-like and Christ is the epitome of forgiveness. Give those around you a glimpse of God, both in you and through you.
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