dignity – Amy Linnea

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

When someone talks down to you, how does that make you feel?

How about if you become the fall out and it wasn’t even your fault?

When you’re surprised at someone’s reaction as they share none of the blame?

When you don’t feel heard, and you realize your voice is barely above a whisper?

How does it make you feel when the conversation leaves you smaller than you were. Tiny, in fact. So tiny, you feel like a bug that was just squashed completely flat?

I know how you feel. Because I felt that recently.

Had a hard conversation, and let’s just say they were only interested in one thing.

Their opinion.

Their right to state their opinion.

Their right to state their opinion in a way that left me squashed.

Interestingly enough, I’ve been taking an education leadership class.

Well, three actually, but who’s counting!

Anyhow, because I am taking these classes at a Christian university, there is always a filter of God through each concept.

How would this response or that decision reflect God and how He operates?

Brings me to that hard conversation.

The conversation directed towards me was missing understanding, grace, and a humble spirit.

Left me thinking thoughts I will not admit, but God has allowed me to see the point beyond the conversation.

God allows yuck to happen, and when it comes, we should ask ourselves what must He be teaching us?

I’ll tell you what I learned.

How not to treat other people.

How not to respond to filth.

How not to bring another person down as I lift up my own self.

Because I know how that felt – terrible.

And I never want to make someone else feel that way. Ever.

When having tough conversations, make sure you are tuned into God’s mind. God’s ways. God’s voice.

Yes, sometimes we might have to deliver unwanted messages, but we can season our talk with understanding, empathy, and love.

And when the other person feels heard, our message will be received, leaving the other with their dignity intact.

Ask God to keep filling you up with Himself.

His words of life.

As we are responsible for the words of our mouths, “may the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, our STRENGTH and our REDEEMER” (from Psalm 19:14).

And then when we talk with the world, our words will leave a lovely taste of God as we represent Him with all we do and say.