- Pursue friendship and gain their trust.
- Encourage honesty to find out the real dirt.
- Keep a running list of shortcomings and failures.
- Out of nowhere, wrongly accuse them.
- Blow said insignificant shortcomings out of proportion.
- Consider all responses mean and defensive. Act hurt and make the person feel terrible.
- Manipulate them to feel crazy for reacting at all. After all, your intentions are good.
- Don't accept apologies and never, ever show grace.
- Gossip to their friends and coworkers about them.
- Aggressively pursue the detriment of their reputation.
I've lost count of how many times this has happened, and it just recently happened again. Instead of letting it have power over me and "make me" bitter and resentful, I'm trying to focus on one important thought: God's grace covers all of my shortcomings. He doesn't keep a running list, and He won't throw it in my face. He's forgiving and gracious. I'm so thankful God's not as F'ed up as we are.