People Problems

Several years ago, when I was a young youth pastor, I had taught something from the Bible that confused one of the students, and they told their parents, who weren’t so favorable toward me, so it was their chance to pounce. They quickly sent a “sharp” letter to the senior pastor expressing their concerns.

Soon after receiving the letter, the pastor asked to meet with me. During our meeting he asked, “What are you going to do about this letter?” I replied as if to shrug it off, “It’s only a small problem.” His next statement has stuck with me to this day… “It’s not a problem; it’s a PERSON.”

Often, it’s easy to see people AS problems rather than people WITH problems. Sure, some people are problematic, but deep down they are just people. Problems are much easier to solve when we realize that people have feelings, get confused, and let their emotions get the best of them.

When we welcome people to share their issues or grievances we can affirm them with statements like, “I hear you… I get it… I’ve been there… I see where you’re coming from.” This doesn’t mean we agree with them; it simply communicates that we care and are truly interested in how they feel.