WHEN ITS RIGHT TO CREATE TENSION IN THE WORKPLACE

I was sitting in my office working on my computer when one of my co-workers came over and started discussing some work projects with me. As the conversation went on, I began to suspect that he was being deceptive about some of the details he mentioned. When I asked him about it, the conversation quickly turned into a confrontation. The argument got heated and then ended with neither of us conceding fault.

I usually feel bad when I get verbally upset or frustrated with people and am quit often at fault in some way. As usual, after our conflict, I started feeling really bad about how upset I got and the fact that I so stubbornly stood up to what he was trying to do.

But then I felt like God told me "don't feel bad about standing up for the truth." I had never had this thought before but it occurred to me that I had in fact stood up to his deceptive half truths simply because he was not being truthful.

Tension is ok; we should all prefer peace but not at the cost of compromising truth. Even though my conflict was not a religious one, as a Christian and as an officer in the Navy, I realized that I am called to stand up for truth.

Far too often, we are "nice" people and avoid conflict at all cost but as people who are striving to be faithful to the Lord, there will be times when conflict finds us. I'm not sure why, but many of us take "nice" over conflict in pretty much any circumstance. But doing that can be sinful and cowardly.

"Going with the flow" is not something that Jesus was ever accused of. Shouldn't we strive to pattern our lives after him and stand up for righteousness and truth (even in the small things)?

If you, like me, are guilty of being nice, going with the flow and not standing for truth, I encourage you to repent right now and ask God to help you be more courageous.

When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evil doers. Proverbs 21:15 

Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed. Proverbs 11:11

Related Post:
Don't Be Nice, Be Courageous

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