my beef...

(for you, k-dogg)
I'm a listener. That's what I do. More so, that's who I am. Throughout my life as a listener, I have come to realize that the most important part of it is simply the listening... NOT the responding. People come to you with problems because they need someone to talk to, someone who will listen to them, someone who will not judge them. They do not necessarily need your advice. Especially your uneducated, unconsidered advice. A good listener is willing to say, "I don't know what to tell you." Sometimes that's the best thing you can say because all they needed to do was to speak their heart. If they want your advice, or you feel it would be appropriate for you to give it, be sure you have seriously considered and prayed about what you are going to say to them. If it is a serious situation, you do not want to be hasty in your advice-giving. You could really mess them up. Be willing to take the time necessary to make sure that the advice you are giving is the best advice... not merely good advice.

On another, unrelated note, I have been overwhelmed this week with the concept of Christ's forgiveness, and how it is our responsibility to show that to others (you know, forgive as Christ has forgiven you). How fake it is of us to say we love God and to enjoy His forgiveness, yet when a situation comes up that requires us to forgive someone else, we withhold forgiveness from them. I have encountered and observed more than one situation recently where this principle applies (whether it was properly applied or not). I am amazed daily at the unconditional love that Christ has for me, and He has just been revealing to me this week that my response to that is to be like Him.

Determine to live like Christ.