A Failure To Communicate?

I have learned through experience that even the closest of brothers can misunderstand each other and ruffle each other's feathers, despite loving each other and get upset or angry and then "bite and devour each other." "Cease from anger, and forsake wrath" (cf. Ps. 37:8). Jesus warned in Matt. 5:22 that we shouldn't be angry at a brother or even insult him. There is a fine line drawn between "speak[ing] the truth in love" and being judgmental. In my definition, judging (I do not mean rebuking, admonishing or correcting) is not something we have the prerogative to do (I mean reading minds, determining motives, or deciding someone isn't a Christian who claims to be). 1 Cor. 5:12 says, "Do you not judge those who are in the church?" (He was talking about known sin in the church body). God judges those outsides--we are to save them not condemn them. Yes, the Bible says that judgment must begin at the house of God. If believers are scarcely saved, what about the infidel?

All Christians should be willing to swallow their pride and apologize when wrong or convicted of sin and want fellowship more than a win so-to-speak. The truth often hurts and it takes bravery to tell someone the truth and to rebuke or admonish a believer, but sometimes it must be done. Let love be the rule: "Love bears all, believes all, hopes all, endures all, love never fails." It is unfortunate when we carry our feelings on our sleeves, are hypersensitive, or have vulnerable areas--we all live in glass houses with skeletons in our closet, as it were, and shouldn't judge harshly or rashly. Our motive must not be to cause hurt nor damage egos but to edify or correct.

When we know someone we know how to press their buttons and manipulate them if we want to and sometimes we inadvertently push the wrong buttons and get a rise out of them--let's learn from our mistakes. In my opinion, it is an unfortunate event to judge someone in a judgmental spirit intentionally, but we should not return the favor and do likewise if you know what I mean. We don't return evil for evil or insult for insult--it just retaliates, escalates, and estranges.

As they say, familiarity breeds contempt, which is probably a maxim, with the exception being Christ himself. In the final analysis, we all have "feet of clay" or have vulnerabilities and weaknesses not readily apparent, and must be sensitive to each other's feelings as well as accept believers the way they are--God did! (Because we are "accepted in the beloved.")   Soli Deo Gloria!