I don't know how it goes in church leadership around the country. Personalities surely still clash. I'm sure diverse opinions are challenged to meet on Harmony Street. Such is the nature of all who operate in some mode of kingdom effort.
What I'm about to tell you hasn't happened to me in over two decades. Its action, though, still strikes me with a very great (or grave?) sting. I had never encountered this term I'm about to divulge until working in the midst of hornet's nested church leaders. I speak of one being Righteously Indignant.
Jesus was indignant once (at least) when the disciples were shooing the children away. This evidently became the licensing bureau for hot tempered men and women to lose our cool. We could let the fur fly under the cover of being righteously (just like Jesus) indignant.
Not so fast.
This is basically a sham in order to allow the flesh nature room to practice its blemishhood. Righteous Indignation is usually used to excuse and reclassify the darkness of the flesh deed, outbursts of anger (Eph. 5:20). I've spread a little righteous indignation in my day. And...I've been spread upon. In each incidence it was a cover up for permissive anger outbursts.
When this reclassification has been most difficult for me to receive are those moments when the one practicing his RI was doing so in front of his cronies. He was showing off. Sorry folks. RI is a cover-up for OoA.
We will all do better to work on and out our differences from the fruit of the Spirit rather than the urgings of the flesh.
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