Confrontation

Confrontation doesn’t come naturally to me. I’d love to get along great with everyone I know without having to confront them or “call them out”. However, there are times when the only way to change the behavior of someone is to speak into him or her using this tactic of confrontation. It doesn’t have to always be negative – there are many times when the outcome is extremely positive even though it took a somewhat “negative process” to get there.

David has had a major lapse in judgment. The Lord sends Nathan, the prophet to call David out. Nathan starts out telling the story of a rich man who had lots of lambs among other riches. He also contrasts the riches of the wealthy man with this poor man, who has only one ewe lamb. When a traveler comes to visit the rich man, he takes the poor man’s lamb to prepare a feast instead of taking one of his own lambs. The story really sets David up to be confronted. Check this out…

5 David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die! 6 He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.’

7 Then Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: “I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. 9 Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.” (2 Samuel 12:5-10 NIV)

The really cool part of this event is the repentance of David. I believe he was genuinely repentant and broken for his stupid behavior. I can’t imagine how David would have turned out had this confrontation not taken place. We might not have some of the most incredible prayers ever penned in the Psalms. I know we wouldn’t have had Psalm 51 – the incredible Psalm of repentance.

There have been times that I’ve needed to be called out or confronted. The Word of God can also fulfill that role. I know my heart and I know the conflicts inside my heart that happen sometimes every day. I know that my behavior flows out of my heart. I need to confess my sin daily (sometimes hourly) before the Lord. I believe that except for the grace of God, I could make choices like David that are simply stupid and very destructive. I’m thankful that the Holy Spirit in me, nudges me and directs my path. I know that if the Lord needed a 2X4 to whack me, He is certainly capable of that too!

I don’t ever want to become so haughty and proud that I can’t be called out or confronted over my misbehavior or sin.

Pressing On!

Dwayne