John 16:13, New Living Translation

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not dish on his own but will tell you what he has heard.”

When you work with the public, you often find yourself at the receiving end of someone’s anger and frustration. Many times, people don’t think about company policy or rules you must follow as an employee. They are quick to react and take it out on the first person they are able to share their disconnectedness with. This is what I want us to look at: reactive vs proactive. To be honest, this happens not just in retail, but even in relationships. What is the tenth greatest commandment? Love Good and love people. Neither of those are being fulfilled if we are being reactive instead of proactive. 

When we are being reactive, the love of Jesus is not flowing through us. Obviously, there is something beneath the surface that is really gritting us. This is just as much for me as for us all. I desire to see improvement in this area of my life, and I know you desire this in your life also. 

To find out why these things bother us, we can seek the Holy Spirit to show us what has happened; at what point did this begin to bother me? We trace it to the root. Just like a bad weed, it will just keep coming back if it’s not pulled out at the root. “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard.” (John 16:13, NLT) “Jesus said to the people who believed in him, ‘You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will see you free.’” (John 8:31-32, NLT) If you have received Jesus as your Savior and Lord of your life, then you have the Holy Spirit within you. If you have the Holy Spirit within you, then He will lead you into all truth, and the truth will set you free. 

Scripture tells us, “Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Don’t let the Sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.” (Ephesians 4:26-27, NLT) Whether we are holding that anger in our releasing it in an unhealthy manner and are being reactive rather than proactive, then something has hurt us and angered us that has not been properly dealt with. This is me too. I don’t say this to condemn us, but to encourage us to seek God, so we can receive the healing we need, so we can forgive and be forgiven, so we can throw off the sin that so easily ensnares us! I want us to be better, not bitter! 

Talking to people isn’t always easy. My mom has told me several times, “You can’t avoid conflict all your life.” Words of wisdom from a precious mama! She is right! We can’t avoid conflict! When we hold these things in, it affects us emotionally, physically, spiritually. It’s overall bad for our health. Though I have made some improvements, I still have work to do, as do we all. 

Let the Holy Spirit guide you. Let Him lead you into truth. If conflict arises that needs to be faced, don’t do it alone. Invite the Holy Spirit to go with you and speak through you. And if you need to, pray for it first. Pray about it, and then let Jesus help you resolve it. Know that you are not alone, that God is with you on the mountain and in the valley. He will never leave or forsake us. He promised us that! 

I hope this encourages you in knowing you are not alone in this struggle and to do what is right in the eyes of God. Together, we will overcome. “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37, NKJV)