Don't take things so personal

In my 30+ years of adult life I have worked in both the "church" world in full time ministry and in the "secular" world in sales and management.  I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly of both scenes.
I will not bore you with the secular world too much.  Suffice it to say there are people who need Jesus and business practices that need to be changed.
One of the practices that took place in my mind as I would sit in board rooms and discuss marketing, sales and profit and loss was that I would often think: "Man if the church would do things this way we would get a lot more accomplished for the kingdom."  or "If we would do what the church does in these type of situations, we would be much more successful."  There were things in both worlds that could be used in the other world to be more effective.
But truthfully, there was a lot of conflict in the world of business.  We had a lot of disagreement and arguments over ways of doing things and expectations of the results.  But the thing I liked about business was that business was not personal.  We could sit in a conference room and have intense disagreement but afterward be standing on the first tee box laughing together.  Why? Because if you are going to get anything accomplished in business, you can't take things personally.  You have to move on.
Well, I'm not sitting in those board rooms anymore.  Being in full time ministry I now discuss things like worship, outreach, budgets, and the like.  When I sit down with others now, it's usually about marriages, addictions, or salvation.  I think the church has the "leg-up" on the business world on many facets of life.  We care about the individual often more than the results.  I like that.  The Spirit is prevalent and active in the life of the church.
But there is one thing I think the church could really improve on.  We take ourselves WAY TOO seriously.  We get offended and take so many things so personal it hinders and even stops what we are supposed to be about.  Glorifying God and Kingdom building.  Why do we get so offended so easily in the church?  Then we have even rationalized it and made it a spiritual responsibility.  We walk on eggshells in the church because Joe or Mabel (names have been changed to protect the innocent, if your name is Joe or Mabel its merely a coincidence) get so offended so easily.  I am amazed at people who are supposed to be so like minded instead are so stinkin' sensitive.
My suggestion: Relax!  Chill!  Quit taking yourself so seriously!  It's okay, we are going to be alright!  Let's start living the way we are supposed to live.  Let's stop getting so easily ticked off and burnt.  Stop putting that responsibility on everyone else in our lives and start taking responsibility to be loving, forgiving and relaxed.  Don't take things so personal.  It's okay to disagree but I am not sure it's okay to be disagreeable.
I have learned a few things in my years in ministry and one thing I for sure have learned is that I am going to do things that some just won't like.  I don't mean anything personal by it.  And guess what?  Some people in the church where I serve do things I don't like.  I can't take that personal.
Let's stop being so touchy that we think we are untouchable.
Ephesians 4:2 Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. ³ Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. ⁴ For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. ⁵ There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.
RELAX!
Take care,
Rod