How Do You Deal With Disappointing People?

"Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself." (Galatians 6:1 NLT)

Everybody in your life is going to disappoint you at some point. Why? Because nobody’s perfect!  So how do you deal with disappointing people? How does love respond when people disappoint you?  The Bible says in Galatians 6:1, “ "Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself." (NLT). The loving response to people who disappoint you is to be gentle, not judgmental.  How do you have tough conversations with people in a gentle way? How do you confront people you love when you see they’re doing something they shouldn’t be doing? The Bible tells us to do it gently and with respect, not harshly or in a rude or mean way.  It doesn’t matter if you’re right. If you’re rude about it, nobody’s going to care what you have to say. They’re just going to get defensive! So you should respond in a gentle and loving way if you want to get through to someone who has disappointed you. We always have a choice how we speak to somebody — especially with our kids. Have you found how deeply hurtful words can wound a child? You can scar them for years. But the Bible says that kind words are words that will heal and help. So when your kids mess up, don’t get on their case and tell them whatever you think they are at the moment. Give them a vision of how things could be! Speak words of life and health and hope into them, not harsh words of judgment. Be gentle.  It’s the same way in our marriages. How many marriage problems could be avoided if we just waited a beat and used words that are gentle and kind and not harsh or vindictive? We need to learn to cut each other some slack and be kind and gentle in our speech and responses.

"The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit."
(Proverbs 15:4 NIV)