Things I Wish I Said, The Change Game

It felt so good to return to "normal" at Parkway yesterday.  Now, our "normal" is different, but it was so good to have all of our campuses up and running.  Our Port Lavaca family had a great day at the Safety Council.  The service was full.  We will likely go to 2 services soon to allow for more people in the worship service!  Our Lone Tree family had an awesome day of worship!  Our Parkway Victoria families worshiped together again this week and the kids were amazing in the service.  I'm ready to get ministry for kids up and running, but I love seeing families worship together.

Yesterday, we kicked off the series, Let the Games Begin.  This is a series on relationships where we will learn how to deal with the games we play in relationship.  We began with a look at the change game.  The Change Game begins with an attitude of judgement.  We judge one another and demand change to stay in relationship with one another.   The Change Game creates distance in our relationship and allows pride to grow in our hearts.  That's why it's so toxic.

The Bible gives us another path to relational health.

13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.  Romans 14:13

19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification,
Romans 14:19

The formula is simple:  Make up your mind not to judge others.  Don't let distance and pride creep in. Then, do the work to live peaceful, mutually beneficial relationships.  The formula is simple, but living it is a challenge.  That's why we all need to remember the things I wish I said:

• When I see distance growing in my relationships, I need to check my heart, not their actions.
• When I see pride growing in my heart, I need to check my response, not their actions.
• When it comes to changing my relationships, the only person that I can control is me.
• For God to work in us, He first must work in me.

1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. Matthew 7:1-5