See, we get offended a lot because of bad treatment we don't deserve. Check. I get it. It's offensive. Jesus didn't deserve to be crucified. Remember what He said?
"They know not what they do."
As a follower of Christ, I realized the best way I could show His love (a commandment He gave me, by the way) was to love like Him.
When people hurt my feelings, I laid down offense. Instead of thinking of my own hurt, I wondered what hurt they must be under to make them act that way.
When someone cut me off in traffic or a cashier was rude, I offered grace. I smile really big at them!
When my husband doesn't read my feelings I remind myself that we are different.
When people don't agree with me, I remind myself that everyone won't. That doesn't change my eternity.
And speaking of eternity? Have you ever stopped and realized that 99% of the things that offend us actually have no eternal impact? But, how we respond to the people who offend us, well, that can have an eternal consequence. We may push people away when they offend us, but we shouldn't push them away from Jesus. If someone stumbles because of me, well, I don't even want to think about it.
Will every situation we encounter require us to lay down our offense? No. I'm not saying to let yourself be filleted open for the masses. But I am saying that when we can let go of ourselves and see other's pain, Jesus smiles. When we can love someone despite their hurting our feelings, they'll see Jesus in us. When He calls us to lay down our life for a brother, He even means the ones who disagree with us. We can lay down offense, and we can pick up love in its place.
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