Matthew 5:38-42
“Here’s another old saying that deserves a second look: ‘Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.’ Is that going to get us anywhere? Here’s what I propose: ‘Don’t hit back at all.’ If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
One day a few months ago, Nathan yelled at me when I told him “No!” and I sent him to “time out.” He refused to go…I calmly, but firmly insisted! This four-year-old boy turned and looked at me and said, “You don’t wuv me anymore. I am not your fwiend ANY MORE!” He went to sit in the “time out” chair anyway!
On some level, those words hurt. I realize that he didn’t mean them…but when Nathan is 15 and mad at me over something, they might be offered with more sincerity. And it will crush my heart to hear someone I love so dearly speak so harshly. But I hope and pray that I will “turn the other cheek.” I will probably have plenty of “ammo” that I could lob right back at him by then. But it would not serve any purpose other than to deepen the divide and possibly damage our relationship forever. And…it would disobey and disrespect Jesus.
In this season of such discourse, every fiber of our being wants to scream insults and offer retaliations to someone nearly every day. We are hurt, angry, bewildered, and ready to “make them pay.” But we must not do this. We must stand quietly and be still…and trust God. We must demonstrate that He is in charge…and we will not be dragged into the mud.
Stop and think about it. You can name plenty of people with short fuses who are quick to get angry and eager to retaliate. But think about the person you know who remains steadfast and calm…the one who rises above the fray. In the words of First Lady, Michelle Obama, think of the person who “goes high when the other guy goes low.” THIS person has heard Jesus’ words – and taken them to heart. And so must we!
This is the day that the Lord has made. We must rejoice in it, and live generously. We must stand up straight and “go high.” God can – and will – fight our battles. Trust Him to always have our back. Let GOD be in charge of sending others to “time out”…and discover how He blesses your restraint.
©2016 Debbie Robus
“Here’s another old saying that deserves a second look: ‘Eye for eye, tooth for tooth.’ Is that going to get us anywhere? Here’s what I propose: ‘Don’t hit back at all.’ If someone strikes you, stand there and take it. If someone drags you into court and sues for the shirt off your back, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. And if someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
One day a few months ago, Nathan yelled at me when I told him “No!” and I sent him to “time out.” He refused to go…I calmly, but firmly insisted! This four-year-old boy turned and looked at me and said, “You don’t wuv me anymore. I am not your fwiend ANY MORE!” He went to sit in the “time out” chair anyway!
On some level, those words hurt. I realize that he didn’t mean them…but when Nathan is 15 and mad at me over something, they might be offered with more sincerity. And it will crush my heart to hear someone I love so dearly speak so harshly. But I hope and pray that I will “turn the other cheek.” I will probably have plenty of “ammo” that I could lob right back at him by then. But it would not serve any purpose other than to deepen the divide and possibly damage our relationship forever. And…it would disobey and disrespect Jesus.
In this season of such discourse, every fiber of our being wants to scream insults and offer retaliations to someone nearly every day. We are hurt, angry, bewildered, and ready to “make them pay.” But we must not do this. We must stand quietly and be still…and trust God. We must demonstrate that He is in charge…and we will not be dragged into the mud.
Stop and think about it. You can name plenty of people with short fuses who are quick to get angry and eager to retaliate. But think about the person you know who remains steadfast and calm…the one who rises above the fray. In the words of First Lady, Michelle Obama, think of the person who “goes high when the other guy goes low.” THIS person has heard Jesus’ words – and taken them to heart. And so must we!
This is the day that the Lord has made. We must rejoice in it, and live generously. We must stand up straight and “go high.” God can – and will – fight our battles. Trust Him to always have our back. Let GOD be in charge of sending others to “time out”…and discover how He blesses your restraint.
©2016 Debbie Robus
No comments:
Post a Comment