DRAMA!!!

DRAMA: noun

an exciting, emotional, or unexpected series of events or set of circumstances.

Drama....It's inevitable. It's everywhere. The devil uses drama to distract. The media uses drama to make money. Social media uses drama to keep people hooked. Humans use drama to connect.

Drama creates a feeling of inclusion, want and importance. It can also invoke excitement, fear, passion, and desire. When we're a part of drama we're, "in the loop". Many of us like to feel that connection to others. Beware, that's what makes it a slippery slope and very easy to get caught up in.

Sometimes drama is necessary catch people's attention around an event, circumstance or issue. Drama can provoke change. At the same time drama can destroy. Be careful!

No matter if it's with a friend or family member, one person or large organization, there are a few things that can help us stay grounded and not get overly caught up in the drama.

1) PRAY ABOUT IT!! I believe God sometimes uses drama as a test. Will we turn to him when things get hectic, uncertain, confusing and chaotic early on or will we fester in the madness and let it consume us. My suggestion, as soon as you're personally involved in drama, ask him how to handle it and if it's every yours to handle. LET HIM LEAD.

2) BE PATIENT!!! Letting HIM lead doesn't necessarily mean it's all going to make sense right away. But when we're patient and take time to consider the big picture, we might see things in a whole different light.

3) ELIMINATE THE EMOTION: This one is a big one! There are two sides to every story, then there's the truth. Find the facts. (be patient, this can take time). It's easy to have an emotional reaction to drama, emotions tend to make things bigger than they really are. Step back, analyze facts, be able to back them up, then decide what's really going on.

4) KEEP A GOOD NAME: 𝐴 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑛 𝑟𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑟𝑖𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠, 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑎𝑣𝑜𝑟 𝑟𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑠𝑖𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑔𝑜𝑙𝑑. - 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑏𝑠 22:1 𝐴 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡. - 𝐸𝑐𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑠 7:1

Both of these verses remind us to keep a good name in God's eyes. Do what it right, not what is popular. Don't let yourself be swayed for personal gain. Step up when you're called to be heard, step down when it's not your place. Stand up for what is right, even if it is uncomfortable and uncertain. Remember, you don't always have to be bold to make a difference, but sometimes you do.

5) HAVE GRACE: this one might be the hardest, but when we eliminate emotion and find the facts we can remember that we are all human. We all go through different things in life, what appears dramatic and unjust in the light, you might one day learn the battle that is brewing behind closed doors, the fear, the insecurities, a personal world that is spiraling downward behind the scenes. We never truly know what people or going through or why they do the things they do and it's none of our business. God knows and he's doing is behind the scenes work in his own way. So have grace for those involved and have grace for yourself when you get too caught up.

Let God show you the facts, let God bring the right people into your life, trust the gut feeling God put deep down inside of you. Don't lead with your heart, that's too emotional. Don't lead with your head, that's too practical. Lead with your Gut (aka God) and he will make things Just and you will keep your Good name!

𝑅𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑠 12: 17-21 - 𝑅𝑒𝑝𝑎𝑦 𝑛𝑜 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑙 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑙, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑑𝑜 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑙𝑙. 𝐼𝑓 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑒, 𝑠𝑜 𝑓𝑎𝑟 𝑎𝑠 𝑖𝑡 𝑑𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑜𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢, 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑦 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎𝑙𝑙. 𝐵𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑑, 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑠, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑖𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑟𝑎𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝐺𝑜𝑑, 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑖𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑤𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑛, “𝑉𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑒, 𝐼 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑎𝑦, 𝑠𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝑜𝑟𝑑.” 𝑇𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑟𝑦, “𝑖𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑚𝑦 𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑢𝑛𝑔𝑟𝑦, 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑑 ℎ𝑖𝑚; 𝑖𝑓 ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡𝑦, 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑑𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑘; 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑏𝑦 𝑠𝑜 𝑑𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑝 𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑜𝑎𝑙𝑠 𝑜𝑛 ℎ𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑑.” 𝐷𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑏𝑒 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑏𝑦 𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑙, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑙 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑.

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