Take a Breath First
“Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.” ~ Colossians 3:12-15 (NLT)
Most often when we are wronged by someone, especially if it is undeserved, our first reaction is to lash out at the other person. However, when wronged, we should be more like Christ in that we should show mercy instead.
Trust me, I can be quite hot-head when I feel I have been wronged undeserved; especially when I am tired or under stress. However, over the years I have learned to step back from a situation before responding. Instead of responding with something that I might regret later, I take a deep breath and pray for God’s guidance.
Does this mean that I always have to say nothing and just be quiet? Of course not! But I do not want to respond to something in the heat of the moment.
Paul said in Colossians 3:13: “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”
When someone lashes out at me, I take a step back and wonder why they lashed out at me. They might be under stress and feel pressured. I don’t know what is going on in their life. Only God knows why they do what they do in the current state of mind.
When I step back, I can take to heart to let Christ’s peace rule in my heart and respond in a way that may glorify the Lord.
Lord of mercy and grace. Often times we want to react on impulse when we are wronged or lashed out at. Lord, give us the peace that comes from Christ before we respond in any given situation. May we always glorify you in what we do and especially what we say. In the precious name of Jesus. Amen!
