June 9, 2017

Real Friends Lovingly Confront

A battleship was on exercise at sea in bad weather. The captain was on the bridge. It was foggy. Just after dark the lookout spotted a light on the starboard side. The captain asked if it was steady or moving. The lookout replied the light was steady meaning they were on direct collision course with that ship! The captain ordered the lookout signal to the other ship: “Change course 20 degrees. We are on collision course.” The signal came back, “Advisable for you to change course.” The captain signaled, “I am a captain. Change course 20 degrees.” “I am a seaman second class. You had better change course 20 degrees” came the reply. The captain was furious. He sent back, “I am a battleship. Change course!” Back came the signal, “I am a lighthouse. Your call.” We’ve been in a series talking about real friends, real love and the real actions it prompts in real friends.  We’ve talked about how real love listens, real love lets go and real love takes steps to become emotionally and spiritually well and healthy.  Now, we come to another action of real love – real love confronts. This week we will look at when, why and how real love confronts.  As in the story above, confrontation isn’t easy and sometimes the tension rises, but real love works through the situation.  Sometimes, we are the Captain needing to yield to a perspective that we don’t have.  Sometimes, we are the sailor needing to stand our ground in the tension because we have a perspective that is critical to the health and well-being of another. Confrontations are rarely comfortable for either party, but, if done in loving and God-honoring ways, we will ultimately be grateful to be on both the giving and receiving end. I would encourage you to read Exodus 18 before Sunday.  We are going to look at how someone close to Moses confronted him and how he responded.  I hope you will join us as we look at how real friends show real love through real loving confrontation. Desiring to mature in Christ with you, Tiger