How to reconigize when you're the problem

It was not very long ago when if I thought something you would know it. I never minced my words and thought being straight forward and sometimes even blunt was just me telling the truth. I was caught up in my "truth is truth" and not aware of the hurt feelings and often misunderstandings my behavior created along the way.

Lately I've been listening to folks making excuse after excuse over their circumstances and giving God credit for stuff He did not bring to their life. How people rationalize mess ups, failures and the like has become nothing more than not taking responsibility for where they find themselves in this moment.

I was on a call recently and one of the parties was complaining about her manager and her insensitivity to others. She even shared how unqualified her manager was and how she knew more than her. The clincher for me came when she said. "I know God is allowing me to go through this so my manager can see the Christ in me." Wow...really!

It took all I had in me to hold my tongue because setting this lady straight was not my assignment for the day. However, it did cause me to ponder how people of faith look so hard at others' faults then miss their own.

How can a person who had authority over you...the manager, see Christ in you when you are putting her in her place. Out of order! God is a God of order and you have to be submitted (acknowledge, acquiesce) to the head, which is those in authority over you. You must respect the position they are in and submit to leadership as long as you are working in that department or team. If you don't respect those over you I can guarantee you if you're ever promoted you will meet with the same kind of resistance. It's call reaping what you sow.

When I entered into a place of brokenness I was able to see the ugly truth about being straight forward and telling it like it is. I was able to look in the mirror and see me, all of me, good, bad and the ugly. You can look in the mirror everyday and never ever see what is really staring back at you. When you are willing to surrender all of you and make a change in you, only then will you then see the change in others.

Be the change you want to see....