Understanding

She was just a little thing — discovering a new school, new friends, new teacher. It wasn’t easy, and of all things a real thundercloud rolled in early that year. Her teacher was certain she heard this child say something unkind about her. Mom was “appalled,” and asked the child about it. The little girl explained what she had really meant to say, but there was no convincing this teacher, so the mom just let it go. A few days later, “mom” found a paper on which her little girl had written a note. It went something like this, “Dear Jesus, you know I didn’t say that. Even though my teacher said I did, that wasn’t what I meant . . .”

Misunderstanding is painful for all of us — whether we are 4 or 94. To be understood is one of life’s greatest gifts. Relationships can be seriously affected by the amount of understanding between those involved. During a specific “season” in life, I was having a tremendously difficult time. I so badly wanted to be understood, and each day felt another crushing blow as I was unable to see that become a reality. Then, the Holy Spirit whispered to my heart, “Seek not to be understood, but to understand.” That brought a whole new vision to the circumstance. He didn’t change the circumstance, He changed me!

The problem of misunderstanding isn’t new. Clear back in Joshua’s day we read of misunderstanding. Here these people are building an altar to be sure their descendents don’t forget the true and living God, and the whole army of Israel is getting ready to fight them — thinking that this altar is being built to worship falsely! How in the world did they come up with that idea? Well, Joshua 22:11 tells us, “Now the children of Israel heard someone say . . .” Isn’t it amazing? Human race hasn’t changed much in all those years! All it took was a “reliable source” and before long the whole army of Israel was taking off in a erroneous direction to fight a battle that didn’t even need fighting.

So many of our problems become non-existent when we exhibit understanding within the love of Christ. When misunderstandings come, talk TO Jesus about the problem. Then, with His Spirit, talk TO the person you are having the misunderstanding with. No one likes to be misunderstood. Telling “your side” of the misunderstanding to a whole host of "others" can lead to so much more confusion then simply taking care of it directly in Christ’s love.

When all was said and done and the Israelite leaders talked to the people building the altar, they realized the truth. War was evaded, and between them stood an altar of Witness that the Lord is God!

By: Janene A. Dubbeld

For God’s Glory

Take it With You

“. . . Now the children of Israel heard someone say, ‘Behold, the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh have built an altar on the frontier of the land of Canaan in the region of the Jordan — on the children of Israel’s side. . . The children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the alter, Witness. ‘For it is a witness between us that the Lord is God.”

Joshua 22: 11, 34