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Bible Reading Plan

Reading Plan:  James 4:11-12

Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

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Daily Devotional: What’s Really Going On?

A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Mark 4:37-40

Our garage door broke within a few weeks of buying our first house. If I hadn’t left the trash can where I did, it could have been avoided. I felt embarrassed and frustrated, mad about my mistake and for not having the money to cover another unexpected expense. But instead of accepting the situation, I heaped it onto my mountain of stressors and lugged my emotions to work. It didn’t take long for my boss to figure out that I wasn’t doing well personally. When I got agitated at a colleague for messing up, she intervened immediately. Then my boss checked in afterwards to find out what was really going on. And I’m so glad she did.

I wasn’t seeing clearly in that stormy season. My boss and my colleagues unfairly took the brunt of my frustrations. Like the disciples judging Jesus for not caring if they drowned during the storm, I chose to pridefully point fingers at my colleagues as a smokescreen. Even if sawdust was in my teammate’s eye, the 2×4 in mine had severely impaired my vision. It wasn’t healthy, but I didn’t have a better way to handle my fear and anger. Gratefully my boss did, and instead of getting defensive, she found a way to disarm me so I could start a new path forward.

She began by being present, meeting me in the moment, and asking what was really going on. She knew that how I treated my teammate didn’t match my character or intent. When she heard about my broken garage door, she empathized and fronted me the money. Then she helped me break down my projects at work so that they felt less daunting. I ended up applying similar principles at home. It was a win all around. By graciously asking, “What’s really going on?” my boss helped me see clearly so we could all move forward peacefully.

Next Steps

Are you in a stormy season that makes it hard to see clearly? Or is there someone you know who’s in this type of situation? Either way, asking “What’s really going on?” could help you see through judgmental smokescreens, name heightened emotions, address underlying needs, and pursue peaceful outcomes.