Messing up

[Brian30755]

What if you really want to witness to people you work with, but you feel like you can't because you've messed up (recently) around them. Maybe you've said things you shouldn't have said, maybe used a vulgar word when repeating something someone said or when telling a joke. Maybe you haven't acted like a Christian should; maybe you've talked bad about another co-worker behind their back.

What should you do if you feel like you've ruined your chances of witnessing to someone because of the way you've acted around them? (I'm talking recently; not back before you were saved)

Should you just pray and ask God to send someone else to witness to them? Or should you try to witness to them anyway?

 

[gekko]

live as a witness in your actions - i would get a friend to try and witness to them - cause nobody from your work would probably know one of your friends...

i dont know. that's probably what i would do - same goes for witnessing to family - its so hard to do - get a friend to do it because your friend may not know your folks as much...

i just heard this kinda stuff from www.wayofthemaster.com

 

[Claudia_T]

I would apologize to them and remind them how forgiving God is. If you cant mess up and have God forgive you then how can they expect God to forgive them? Just explain that you are sorry and that your actions were not like a true Christian...

Think when David messed up with Bathsheba if he would of gone off to some corner after that never wanting to say anything about God anymore.

Claudia

 

[SpiritualMadMan]

I've done that myself...

I said something to a co-wrker in front of his boss that really made him look bad...

It was an off hand comment... No offense intended... And, he was a believer... I didn't even realize what I had done..

So, I went back around to my bench and another tech comes over and informs me of what I had done and what the reaction was...

Well, given the wounds of a friend are faithful and given the Holy Spirit also made it plain I had messed up I had to go back and apologise to the guys boss and to him and ask for forgiveness...

It took him over a month to get over it and have our fellowship restored!

All you can do is ask God to forgive you and help you make things as right as possible...

One caveat, though, don't go rushing in to try to make things right until the Holy Spirit sets your heart right and sets the stage for them to recieve it...

Otherwise you could make it worse...

If you've done or said things a Christian shouldn't say or do then you *may* be able to make it a "toe in the door" witnessing event by apologising for doing something you knew was wrong and which a Christian isn't supposed to do...

Lastly, the conviction of the Holy Spirit may make you feel guilty as if the entire sordid affair was known when actually only a part is actually known and caused harm...

If you've gossiped and they are aware of tiny bit of the gossip and then you tell them all this other stuff you've been spreading around...

Well, you can imagine how much deeper the hurt would be then...

It some cases the best way to deal with your own gossip is to simply stop and confess to God...

In some cases it's not the person gossiped about that needs to be confessed to and apologised to...

It's the person you burdened with the gossip that needs to know what you shared is false and gossip...

SMM

 

[Claudia_T]

Originally posted by SpiritualMadMan:
One caveat, though, don't go rushing in to try to make things right until the Holy Spirit sets your heart right and sets the stage for them to recieve it...

Otherwise you could make it worse...

If you've done or said things a Christian shouldn't say or do then you *may* be able to make it a "toe in the door" witnessing event by apologising for doing something you knew was wrong and which a Christian isn't supposed to do...

Wow! I had just asked God about something like that and this is like the answer to my question about what to do!

Thanks Mike, even though you didnt intend it, you helped me

Claudia

 

[SpiritualMadMan]

Claudia,

What makes you think that I wouldn't want to help you if I could...

We disagree on many issues... true...

But, I am more the Samaritan than Priest or Levite

SMM

Might want to go with SMM so I am not confused by your answers to, I think, D28guy who is also a 'Mike'...

 

[Claudia_T]

No I didnt mean that you would want to help me, just that you didnt intend to... it just sorta happened by accident, I mean

Yeah there's too many Mikes and Bobs around here, I will call you SMM from now on.


Claudia

 

[SpiritualMadMan]

I, too, love God's little 'accidental' & 'coincidental' blessings