Feeling a bit pressured this month?\u00a0 With just\u00a0a few\u00a0days left until Christmas, the roads aren\u2019t the only place where rage can spoil your holiday cheer. Now, more than ever, your family, volunteers, and co-workers, will need an extra dose of grace to keep the Spirit of the season alive.<\/p>\n
Keep focused on these biblical principles to avoid a Grinch-like attitude this month:<\/p>\n
Speak Wisely<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cA gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger\u201d.<\/em> Proverbs 15:1<\/p>\n What your mother said was correct. Sometimes it\u2019s better to count to ten than to blurt out what\u2019s on your mind in a heated moment. So when your Sunday school teachers ask you if they have<\/em> to attend Saturday Christmas program rehearsals\u2014better start counting, or come up with a response that leads to affirmation and understanding.<\/p>\n Listen Actively <\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cEveryone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry\u201d.<\/em> James 1:19<\/p>\n It\u2019s hard work to listen! It\u2019s been said that God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. It takes twice as much effort to listen. Often conflict surfaces because a message was misunderstood, miscommunicated, or missed all together. When we listen with discernment, we hear the real message that needs our attention.\u00a0 Often the best response is to just listen some more. People will respect not getting their way\u2014but they\u2019ll resent not having their say.<\/p>\n Love Genuinely <\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cAbove all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.\u201d<\/em> 1 Peter 4:8<\/p>\n Isn\u2019t this what Christmas is really all about?\u00a0 For God so loved\u2026that he gave us his son. In the book, Simply Strategic Volunteers<\/em>, Tony Morgan says, \u201cWe all need cheerleaders. We all need people who will encourage us to do the next right thing.\u201d A genuine love for people helps us look past the mistakes to see the person Jesus sees inside. It changes our perspective. Love moves us from conflict to compassion.<\/p>\n Christmas\u00a0overload can turn anyone into a Grinch. Keep the wisdom of these scriptures on your heart and make this month one of celebration and joy.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Feeling a bit pressured this month?\u00a0 With just\u00a0a few\u00a0days left until Christmas, the roads aren\u2019t the only place where rage can spoil your holiday cheer. Now, more than ever, your family, volunteers, and co-workers, will need an extra dose of grace to keep the Spirit of the season alive. Keep focused on these biblical principles to avoid a Grinch-like attitude […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":82,"featured_media":31378,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[117,670],"tags":[690,499,688,689,141,105],"class_list":["post-2064","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lead","category-volunteers","tag-attitude","tag-christmas","tag-christmas-stress","tag-grinch","tag-leadership","tag-volunteer"],"yoast_head":"\n