I heard of a great pastor who once said, “If nobody is mad at you, you’re probably not doing anything.”
Think about it. Really think about this one.
{blog of adam}
{blog of adam}
I heard of a great pastor who once said, “If nobody is mad at you, you’re probably not doing anything.”
Think about it. Really think about this one.
Hmmm….people are mad at me the majority of the time…and usually, I don’t even know what I’ve done!
But, point well taken. This pastor has hit on something fairly profound.
This is a good point. But in my experience as a leader we need to make sure that what we are doing isn’t meant to make people mad on purpose, but for there own good.
This statement is a simple reminder that doing the work God has called us to will often cause unrest. Disciple-makers working effectively are boat-rockers; there is no way to avoid the angst of those that seek to inhibit the work of the Kingdom. Sometimes they are believers that are simply ignorant to how their dissention disrupts the work of those they disagree with. Jesus is our great example; he went about the business of the Father, and though he encounterd the anger of many of the “religious” (Pharisees for example), He did not allow it prevent Him from speaking the Truth. He did not provoke it unnecessarily, but he expected it as par for the course. I have to struggle with this concept at times; being a people pleaser can prevent me from carrying out God’s will for my life. Part of taking up my cross is accepting that not everyone that I encounter will like me because of the message I bring as I represent Christ. Satan is at work in the lives of people pleasers to keep them silent. This is just my opinion and the wisdom I gleaned from the statement that Adam quoted.
I would rather do something and get people mad at me, than do nothing and have everyone like me. 😀
You know, I said that people are mad at me the majority of the time, and actually, that’s not far from the truth.
But I have had to some to a conclusion, and it is very similar to what Tara is saying here. I’m not perfect, but that shouldn’t prevent me from acting. And sometimes, the truth hurts, so my actions that are a result of truth make people mad at me.
But, I’m a long way from perfect, and sometimes I have the right intention, but the wrong actions. Heck, sometimes I don’t even have the right intentions. And, I make people mad at me. It’s times like this that I have to try to make amends, rather than burn bridges. I must be willing to admit that I’m not perfect, and that I made a mistake. Oddly, it’s really hard to do that!
So, in the end, I guess I agree with Adam, or at least a variation: I would rather do something and get people mad, than do nothing and keep people happy. If what I do is the wrong thing, then I need to admit I messed up, and then we can pick up the pieces.
Good points, Jeremiah. It’s also possible when many people are mad at us we are actually wrong, or going about things the wrong way. Sometimes the main thing I am doing wrong is trusting my own judgment, because sometimes it is off! In my life I have a few people (my husband is the main one, he is sooooo smart) that I go to when I’m not sure. I trust their judgment as much or more than my own, and I also trust them to tell me the truth. 99% of the time if my husband lovingly says, “no honey don’t say that to that person” as soon as I calm down and stop being emotional I realize he is right and I should listen to him (as a woman I can be very confused at times about the appropriate times to be submissive or unyielding). Of course I am talking here about the gray areas in life we all have to navigate through, that there isn’t specific biblical guidance on. I think I’m rambling but I essentially wanted to agree with the conversation and share a tip for anyone asking the question “but how do you know the difference?”
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