well meaning but not so much

[TurtleHare]

Here I am at work and ran across a guy who I bet meant well but ended up annoying me as he first questioned something I was doing and then tried to tell me what to do next. Dude, I totally know how to do my job and you don't is what I wanted to yell at him but the christian side of me whispered in my head rhat he meant well. I still want to yell at him though and am I alone in stuff like this?

 

[Josiah]

My Dad speaks often of "the fine art of shutting up." I'm working on it.....

It MAY be that folks "mean well"..... and it may WELL be that they don't. We have no control (or responsibility) for what others do or think or say. Or why. Only for ourselves.

I know when people are in my grill ("well meaning" or not), there's something huge and powerful deep in me that AUTOMATICALLY and INSTICTIVELY starts to run.... and it's highly defensive and offensive. Stuff starts coming out of my mouth that shocks me (if not them). And most of the time, I really regret it. Not only because this "program" in me CLEARLY is not Christian, but because it almost always just makes things worse (it's not just unchristian, it's stupid). Now.... I WISH I could say, "Brilliant, helpful, amazingly great stuff instantly comes to mind and flows from my lips" but it ain't so. (I typically think of the really great responses at about 2:00 AM that night). THAT said, I've learned (the hard way) that sometimes a response is needed. I just have to engage my brain (and faith) in doing so. I'm working on that.... I've got a long way to go on that....

Sorry this happened to you....


Pax


- Josiah

 

[Tigger]

When I'm in the right frame of mind, I try without missing a beat say something 'matter of fact' like but in a fairly positive tone like "gosh I know, happens frequently". Usually that works well and I was able to speak my mind all at the same time.

 

[Stravinsk]

Here I am at work and ran across a guy who I bet meant well but ended up annoying me as he first questioned something I was doing and then tried to tell me what to do next. Dude, I totally know how to do my job and you don't is what I wanted to yell at him but the christian side of me whispered in my head rhat he meant well. I still want to yell at him though and am I alone in stuff like this?

I know the feeling. Once a week I'm confronted with a major grumpy chick co-worker who whinges, complains and throws a fit over the tiniest of details. This week it was the water level in a steamer. It was 3/4 of the way full instead of 100%. Never mind that it isn't even on my job list to fill those steamers - it's the grumpy chick's own daughter that is supposed to do them on that day. But if *I* say anything - I'm being picky over little stuff. Chick is a major hypocrite. I find it hard to fathom how she even has kids. I find it hard to fathom because I can't imagine a bloke in the universe who would be even remotely interested given how she acts 90% of the time.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I find people who test us to be a great opportunity. Yes, I think we all have those inclinations to say "unChristian" things, born out of our sense of pride. But we can train ourselves (in my case, usually with MUCH effort!) to respond differently.

I find this valuable, because not only do our words and actions have an effect on the kind of person we are, but our emotions and thoughts shape us as well, bit by bit. If we try to act, speak, think, and feel in accordance with the way Christ would do, to the utmost of our ability, along with the grace and help of God, we will slowly become more like Him. That is the essence of being Christian, since the word literally means to be a "little Christ".

 

[Alithis]

once i may have viewed that as a "testing" but now.. nah

 

[~Anastasia~]

I may have misspoke. I don't mean "testing" in the sense of God testing us or anything like that. I meant it in a more colloquial sense, as in saying someone "tests my patience".

No, I wouldn't call it testing really. You are right about that. I'd call it practice.

 

[psalms 91]

patience is a hard one for me and it seems that God allows things to come into my life to build it up. Sometime I do good and sometimes I dont

 

[Lamb]

Turtle, I bet the guy just wanted to talk to you and get your attention.

 

[psalms 91]

lol I think he did

 

[Alithis]

yi yi ..there is that lol