Does anyone actually love confrontation? Is it a natural state for anyone?
I’d have to ask those individuals a lot of questions to understand why they enjoy it. I don’t find confrontation exceptionally enjoyable, although I do recognize it is necessary at times. In my younger years, I probably confronted others too often. Today, however, I see the positive impact a proper, nonshaming confrontation can have.
That was exactly what happened one Friday evening in the Missouri Ozarks.
I was there presenting a conference called The Worshipper's Heart. I had recently been a regular speaker and musician for Integrity Music’s conference series, and this church had invited me to come do a conference of my own.
It was a beautiful evening of worship, followed by a message on the Father’s heart. When I closed that portion and began a time of ministry, the Lord was moving. I deeply enjoyed God's presence and saw His hand at work in people’s lives.
We finished around ten o'clock. I don’t remember the exact time, but the pastor approached me and asked if I could take a minute to chat in his office.
Hmm. I don’t have great memories of being called to the principal's office. I wasn’t always attentive in school and often found myself visiting the principal or staying after class to write “I will not talk” or “I will not throw paper wads” five hundred times on the chalkboard. (It wasn’t my fault. Greg made me do it!)
We strolled back to his office, conversing about the evening. He seemed happy with how it went. Then, he shut the door—never a good sign—and said, “Byron, let your yes be yes and your no be no.”
I didn't feel belittled. Obviously, his heart was first and foremost for those he pastored. I also felt no shame; I did sense conviction.
“Have a seat,” he continued. “Earlier in the evening, you said you were going to have a time of healing. But you never did.”
Looking back, I realized he was right. I hadn't thought much about it because the Lord was moving so powerfully in other ways.
“Did you know there were a number of people counting on that healing time?” he asked.
“No, I didn’t,” I replied.
“When you say something like that, you need to follow through. I know the Lord moved tonight, but you need to let your yes be yes. Your word may not be sacred, but it must be honoring.”
I was faced with a choice. Would my pride take over and rebut with something like, Yeah, well, the Lord was moving, so I went with that? Or would I humble myself, apologize, and promise to make good on my word?
I decided it would be wise to honor my word. I apologized to the pastor and promised to hold a time of healing. The next morning, I apologized to the conference attendees as well, and after worship, we moved into a time of healing.
The lesson I learned about letting my yes be yes, and my no be no, is the main intent of this article, but I’d like to share what happened during that healing session. First of all, the Father was kind, generous, and faithful as always—in spite of me.
BLOW THE SHOFAR
I had a shofar that was given to me during my season with John Paul Jackson. A worship leader named Jeff McCleod had just returned from Israel with this large ram's horn and presented it to me at one of John Paul’s conferences. I often traveled with this shofar because it had proven to be a catalyst for healing. I don’t claim to know how it works; I just know that when I played a certain low tone on the horn, people experienced healing.
And so it was that Saturday morning in the Ozarks.
As I blew this low tone—what in music is called a pedal tone—the Father released healing for deafness, a heart issue, and an intestinal disease.
How do I know? First, the deaf person could hear. Second, the people with heart and intestinal issues later set appointments with their physicians and were medically cleared. Their doctors could only describe it as a miracle—something I’ve often heard from medical professionals.
Let me finish this Sunday Post by saying that confrontation, especially when delivered lovingly, opened my heart to a scriptural principle that created a truer heart in me. It showed me that confrontation doesn’t have to be angry—it can simply be an invitation to grow.
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