Confrontations: Deal with the Drama
Apr 24th, 2009 by admin
Unless you’re a sadist who likes making people squirm, confrontations are hard. It’s especially uncomfortable when you’re face-to-face with someone you absolutely don’t want to upset. Fortunately, Jesus gave you a plan for when a fellow believer does you wrong (Matthew 18:15–17):
Step One: Privately make your friend aware that she hurt you.
Step Two: Take a couple other people with you to talk to her if you need to.
Step Three: If she is stubborn, let your church leaders know what happened.
Step Four: Don’t hang out with her anymore.
This was written in 31 AD, and people have a few more communication options now. Maybe someone hurt you accidentally and it would be easier to express yourself via e-mail. Sometimes it’s just a simple misunderstanding that disappears when you both explain where you were coming from. Give her a call!
A large part of communication comes through body language—gestures, tone of voice, facial expressions—that gets missed on the phone or IM. So for the bigger confessions and confrontations, offer to buy your friend coffee and make it a face-to-face. Eliminate any chance for her to mistake your sincerity for sarcasm.