03/19/2014
Pastor’s Corner For: March 16, 2014
“Deal With The Problem”
When a problem is concealed and not dealt with, it tends to compound and become worse. For example, say you have a child who doesn't take school seriously. If you don't deal with that problem, it will likely get worse because your child will fall further behind in school. However, if you confront the problem—though it certainly won't be easy to confront—then you will likely prevent that problem from causing more and bigger problems in the future.
There are times when confronting others might inconvenience you, but not confronting them will only invite much bigger problems later. Permit yourself some inconvenience in order to resolve problems before they worsen. Do not allow problems to multiply because you're afraid to confront them.
Likewise, if someone sins against you, you should not simply ignore what happened because doing so could cause the problem to escalate. Instead, Jesus says you should confront the problem: “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother." (Matthew 18:15).
In situations where it's really challenging to deal with a problem, it may take more love to confront someone and tell them the truth—even though it hurts—than it does to simply pretend nothing is wrong. In other words, it may be easier to let the problem slide, but to do so is not love.
God Bless!
Pastor Michael Pettigrew
