"Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." Proverbs 27:6
The popular author Barbara Johnson received a letter from a lady saying, "Dear Barbara, I'm afraid I'm going off my rocker. How can I know for sure?" Barbara wrote back, "Dear Fearful, We know that one out of every four people in this country is mentally unbalanced. So, just think of your three closest friends, and if they seem normal - then you're the one!" You may smile, but we all need somebody who loves us enough to say, "YOU'RE the one!"
John Maxwell says people respond to confrontation in the following ways: First, there are the BYE people: they never profit from confrontation, because they never hang around long enough to deal with it. Their egos are too fragile. Next the SPY people: they suspect that everybody's out to get them, so they avoid taking any risks at all. Then there are the FRY people: they either 'fly off the handle' or do a 'slow burn'. Then there are the LIE people: they rationalise, justify, and make excuses, instead of facing up to the truth. Then there are the CRY people: they're over sensitive, and they usually hang around hoping that others will see how mistreated they are and give them sympathy. Next there are the SIGH people: they have a 'that's-too-bad-but-there's-nothing-I-can-do-about-it' attitude. Finally, there are the FLY people: they take the criticism and fly with it. They learn from it, become stronger and wiser because of it, and rise to new heights. Prayerfully consider which category YOU'RE in today.
Copyright Bob Gass Ministries 1998 (used by permission)