FEUDING MINISTRIES AND YOU'RE CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE

[HOPE - Psalm 43:5]

What should you do if your two dear friends are pastors; you are the 3 amigos!

Yet, they have falling out and their member support their pastor.

Their issue is with one another but you seem to be caught in the middle.

Do you take the side of the one that is hurting the most?

[HOPE - Psalm 43:5]

That is EXACTLY what happens... instead of talking to each other, they come to you. Even though you refer them BACK to the other person. It's like they are afraid of talking to one another and when something goes wrong guess who will be blamed.... THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE!

[HOPE - Psalm 43:5]

my opinion is that they are BOTH wrong. LOL

But folk don't want to hear that.

I refer them to one another. But if they want me to mediate, then my opionion is that they are BOTH wrong. So to them it seems as if I "on the fence".

It's a control issue and BOTH are wrong for wanting to have control and "their" way and not submitting to God's way of doing things.

My next opinion is that if they don't resolve it then they will be not only walking in unforgiveness but walking around with a burden of offense... and guess what will happen when they stand before their congregations???

If this if filling their spiritual cups, what will flow over into the congregation....??? their families???? their businesses???

But what I see as the root is fear... fear of face to face confrontation. Because it may get heated. I truly think they are afraid of their own emotions.

But there is something else feuling this feud... I guess it is pride. No one wants to admit that they are wrong.

[HOPE - Psalm 43:5]

Oddly enough, when I prayed that God will help me be more patient with people He CONTINUALLY surrounds me with people with emotional issues where I have to be patient with them as He works on them.

Back in the day, I would cut people out of my life without a problem or any regret or remorse. POOF you'd be gone. I wouldn't look back.

Now, He's given me such a passion for those with broken relationships, that it hurts me to see broken relationships.

I struggle with wanting people to heal as quickly as I heal. I don't hurt easily but when I am, I recover quickly. That is why I had so little patience in the past with others. I want them to get over their offenses quickly so they it doesn't ride their backs and they become imprisoned by it.

*sigh*

Sometimes people tell me about something that is bothering them but it occured YEARS ago. And I have to remember when I was like that... carrying the same burdens for years. I guess when God showed me how to release that stuff QUICKLY that I expect others to do the same.

Offenses are sooooo burdensome! The ripple affects from them are emotional, spiritual and physical. And they affect both your horizontal relationships with mankind and your vertical with God.

*sigh*

[HOPE - Psalm 43:5]

Oh now we "say" we forgive but we still hold on to the memory of the offense.

I'm not saying forgive and forget. I'm saying, if you can't remember the incident without the painful emotion or the emotion of anger being attached to it, then you really haven't released it.

It's easy to SAY you forgave someone but examine yourself. If you have pain or anger when you remember the incident that you forgave the person for, it could be that you are still holding on to it.