Diversity

This post is from Danny:

I now work for a non profit organization called City Year. They intentionally recruit a diverse group of individuals. I thought I was diverse and that I could handle being around people who are different than me.

I am finding out that I do have buttons that can be pushed to make me angry when confronted with ideas and people that are different than me. I am very excited about this discovery.

At first, when one of my buttons is pushed, the anger consumes me and I feel like I need to defend my position about what I believe. I feel like bursting forth a rebutle or rebuke in rage. I struggle to process this differnce and fit it into my box of how I see the world.

Maybe this button is a pre judgement about people, maybe this is a differing thought on religion, (I use the word religion for lack of a better one) or lifestyle choices. When I can admit my anger and decide to deal with it, I find myself looking to the Bible for answers and the Holy Spirit to live out what I find. This process is helping me become more like Christ.

I am having to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, becasue man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Will I be more effective by yelling my perspective in anger or communicating my perspective gently? This verse must become woven into the fabric of who I am. This verse takes discipline and the Holy Spirit for me to live out.

Being effective? I also find myself searching my heart for my motives. What am I trying to accomplish? Where do I want this relationship with this different person to go? Are my actions Christ-like?

"Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will."
(2 Timothy 2:23-26)

Sometimes I get all bent out of shape just to listen, because I think that if they talk more than me, they will root themselves deeper into what is wrong or prove my truth or my point wrong. (There I go with the arguing and being right all the time motive.) I have come to know that it is okay to listen, because the Bible says so and because I do not cause change in a person, God grants repentance. Also, the truth has been established and nothing is going to move it.

I am really growing and being challenged to live out my faith everyday at work. I love the struggle and the opportunity. This is very exciting for me. I just wanted to share some thoughts. It is really hard for me to share in words the work taking place in my life. I guess this post is probably more for me to process.