The trouble with working in a customer service job is the unique look you get into the true nature of people.
Now everyone has a bad experience once in awhile, but it's actually heartbreaking to think that the person on the other side of the phone is lashing out for nonsensical things. It illuminates something of that person intrinsically chaotic that is spilling over into their lives. Even their phone conversations with complete strangers.
I used to think I was a fairly patient and understanding person. Then I got placed in customer service position for a week. I'd like to say all my conversations were pleasant, but despite my efforts to offer solutions to customers... about half would lash out or become angry. Hence the introspective post here, ;)
I believe I was placed in that position for God to teach me something. He was opening my eyes to something. And to what exactly?
Well nothing new to be honest. Just that I'm not nearly as great as I think I am and people in general can really let you down. As broken as some of those customers' lives can be--my life was once that way.
It's true for all of us. We, being born into sin, walk through some darkness before we turn to the
Father.
As someone who loves Jesus, I want to be as gracious and understanding towards others as He was to me.
Rude, impatient, indecent, vindictive, deceitful, careless. All labels I could give to quite a few customers I've had to deal with lately. But labels nonetheless that were attached to me in the past. And not all that long ago.
The depravity my soul once knew is evident in a society that lives so far from what God intends. There's not a day that goes by where you don't walk by or interact with someone lost in a pit of sin desperately hoping for a way out because their life is spiraling out of control. That breeds all the negativity, anger, bitterness, jealousy, and disrespect we Christians hear daily. Even from each other, despite God calling us to live above reproach.
So for those of you who are at times damaged or insulted by the outpourings of souls caught in sin--there is hope. We can all think back to times in our lives where we were fumbling around in the dark. Lost with no direction, we tended to be clumsy, stepping on people's proverbial toes while we tried to figure out our own lives. It's what happens when we are consumed with ourselves and not with our God.
And then, as Christians, we remember that time we stepped into the glorious light that is a relationship with Jesus. The darkness was exposed as a lie and a trap. we were taken to a place-a secure place-God's own family where he was going to lead us through life.
In this light we walk everyday. And here it is much harder to step on others so carelessly. God has restored a sense in because of the Holy Spirit which makes us hyper aware to those things that used to entangle us in the dark. But traveling in the dark and being called into the light has also given us the perspective to understand why so many others keep stepping on our own toes.
Not everyone knows light. Only Jesus brings light. Then there is darkness. No in-between. We, as lovers of Jesus, should want the people of this world to stop fumbling around in darkness and step into light.
Jesus is our hope. If we aren't doing our best to live as he did and share the gentleness and love of his character with the people we interact with, we aren't going to see any hearts finding their way out of darkness. Don't take the hate personally. Love with a heart that knows love itself and allow that love to pour into the souls finding their way.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7
Love,
K
