I had a conversation with someone recently about one of the most valuable lessons that I have ever learned. We were talking about how people can feel guilty, how we respond to situations...why we hold onto grudges...it's our choice...plain and simple.
When I was in New Zealand, I can remember getting into a disagreement with a friend of mine and I sat down with the pastor's wife, Michelle (lovely lady), and explained the situation. I said how the "person made me feel guilty," how "I can't believe he said that to me...doesn't he realize how badly he hurt me?"...and I'm sure the list could go on and on about what I foolishly and unwisely said.
She said something to me that has forever changed how I view situations and how I let them affect me. "You choose how you respond to things. People can't make you feel guilty...you let yourself feel that way. You choose when someone may be saying/doing something that you don't agree with, but YOU ultimately choose how you're going to feel about that...and how long you're going to let it affect you."
Well...geez...talk about constructive criticism. It's not of God for us to think that way...it's not of God for us to be offended...we can help each other with that. We choose how we react/respond to situations/things people say to us...I shouldn't be responding the same way that a non-christian would be responding because I have the faith in God...
Back to the conversation with this other person...the person kept going on about how he/she had their feelings hurt and felt guilty...and I said, "no,no,no...you choose how you react/respond to things and as long as we are responding in a way that is worthy of Christ...then we're doing what He asks of us.."
That is honestly what I think about when someone says something that could be taken offensively to me...that's not my intent to hurt people..and I honestly believe that it isn't someone's intent period...so stop being offended and see how you can change how you react/respond to things.
Choose to be offended...or choose to love and forgive.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment