How to Squash Drama
I've got a lot of experience in dealing with drama. In churches, in the corporate world, and in motorcycle clubs. Drama is the biggest enemy of any organization. It's like a cancer that eats from the inside out. Churches split, corporations lose money, motorcycle clubs lose entire charters over drama.
So let's define what drama is and how to recognize it. Drama is people not following Scripture. Its people talking ABOUT other people rather than talking TO other people. It's gossip, poison, dissatisfaction. Drama can normally be dealt with simply by talking to the person you were concerned with and simply clearing up the miscommunication or misunderstanding. But immature people don't have the balls to go to the person they have a problem with, so they go to everybody else instead out of cowardice. Normally drama comes from misunderstandings and misperceptions about what somebody is, says or does.
Drama sounds like this:
"Well what she/he said/did is...."
"Well he/she needs to give a second thought to what he's doing because I think...."
"Where does your allegiance lay?"
"They don't know where your allegiance lies so they haven't confided in you... "
"I've done this for you so you need to be on my side..."
"I'll back your play."
"There need to be some changes around here because.... "
"Well what I don't like around here is...."
All this stuff is perfectly understood and accepted in the world, cuz that's how the flesh operates. But in the Christian world, we have a higher standard.
These kind of comments come from helpless and powerless people who want to be in control, but God has not seen fit to put in control. They simply do not understand the level that God has placed them at. While they are desperate for power and hungry for attention, they're dissatisfied with the fact that God has not put them in those places. Truly, their problem isn't with the person they're talking about, but with God. For surely, if God had meant them to be in control, God would have put them in that place. Or of course God is an idiot who doesn't know what He's doing....
So how do you squash drama?
First is to recognize that this person is trying to drag you down. Don't be amazed and bedazzled that they chose you to vomit their trash on to. Be disgusted and disturbed that they think you'd be interested in taking your focus off of mission and ministry and putting it on politics and the political aspirations of men.
Second, just tell them to follow through with what the Word says in Matthew 18: if you have a problem with that person, go to that person, it's not right for you to talk to me about it. Tell them to grow a pair, and go talk to the person they're upset with rather than you. This is where the 24 hour rule comes from, you have 24 hours to go talk to that person that you're complaining about, or else I'm going to put you on Front Street and tell them what you said. After all do you have a covenant allegiance to that person, Or to God?
Third, recognize that this person that's saying these things to you is out of line, and in the wrong. Pray for them, that they not be focused on the things of man, but they be focused on the things of God. Pray for them that they develop spiritually to the point where God can use them more thoroughly. After all if there is a legitimate problem, they can pray to God, and He will solve it. He is actually capable of that.
Last, have a mindset of mission and ministry, not politics and criticism. People are going to hell. Rather than focus on what may have been a misstep by someone or not, focus on the fact that people need to be saved. Every moment spent on drama is an insult to God, and an insult to the souls who will burn in hell for eternity. Are we about drama, or eternal heaven for lost souls?
And that's critical to remember.
James Disciple Johnson
Natl President and Founder
Disciple Christian Motorcycle Club
DISCIPLE CMC BLOG: How to Squash Drama
http://disciplecmcblog.blogspot.com/2016/03/how-to-squash-drama.html?m=1
