Byrnesys Blabberings

This morning I am reading Proverbs 13:3 which says:

"Those who control their tongue will have a long life; a quick retort can ruin everything.

In Pastoral situations we must do everything to put away our insecure selves, instead preferring our neighbour and their cares, while not taking the burden ourselves but to sympathise deeply.

If we sub-conciously have a requirement for social interactions to be self affirming, this creates siatuation were we always have to be right, and this is not conducive with pastoral ministry, it should be approached with the most selfless heart we can cultivate for pastoral discussion.

Our quick responses/fixes often lack integrity, depth, and concern. We should not be so presumptious to think in our responses, " OH this is how we dealt with the last person who had a problem with this" As to treat people like that brings in the business model of effiecientcy into the kingdom,which belongs not to rationality but to love, and love sees the individual.

How often do we find ourselves churning out the same old phrases, when that slighty strange person in church sparks up a conversation we endure it for as long as we have to and then make our excuses, but we would sit around the "spiritual elite" of the church and wait for an invitation to join them.