Have you ever been in a situation where you’ve been annoyed, hurt, disappointed or crushed?
Of course, you have. We ALL have.
Throughout the course of our lives we are always going to run across people or situations that make us angry, hurt our feelings or throw us for a loop. It is just gonna happen.
The question isn’t whether this junk is going to happen, it’s really how are we going to respond when it does?
I can honestly tell you…I need to work on my responses.
I have a tendency to:
Gossip about the situation or person.
Want bad things to happen to the cause or person (murder sometimes sounds good).
Get revenge.
Okay…just so you know…none of the above options are good ones. I know they sound great at the time, but they do nothing to actually help or solve a problem. In fact, they exacerbate the issue and cause more harm. (I figured you knew that murder wasn’t a solution…hee, hee!)
Where we usually go wrong is thinking only about ourselves. We forget to put ourselves in the other’s shoes or really understand where the problem originated. Selfishly, we want to wallow in our own self-pity and ignore what we really should do.
Unfortunately, we live in a culture that supports revenge, lawsuits, entitlement and retaliation. No longer are we encouraged to ‘turn the other cheek’, forgive, or compromise. Not really sure that there was EVER a society that encouraged love, but I do know of One that did. Jesus.
You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. Matthew 5:38-42
Man, this is SO HARD to do. But, it is worth every sacrifice.
Personally, I do not want to grow bitter and resentful because of others’ offenses. And, I sure can’t be forgiving, kind and loving all on my own. So, I have to ASK for God’s help to overcome my humanness and weaknesses.
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 1Peter 2:24
Daily we are faced with opportunities to love or hate. Everything basically comes down to those to actions. We can either choose to live as Jesus did or we can live as the world tells us to.
What choice are you going to make today?
Some Wisdom for Today: Proverbs 20:22 – Do not say, “I will repay evil”; wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.
**Image courtesy of stormy weather by dan/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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