Look the Other Way

I cannot think of a single person who likes to be insulted. No one likes to hear that they have done something wrong or that someone does not like them or something that they did. All people like to try and defend their actions. The unfortunate thing is that there is always going to be someone who just doesn’t like the way you do things. People are also sinners, meaning that they can be rude and insulting. Knowing that and being able to properly respond when you are insulted are two very different things. When someone insults us, we want to respond right away and get the edge over that person, feel smarter than that person, or physically superior over that person who just tried to make us feel small. It is HARD to do what this passage says to do and overlook an insult. We could get 100 compliments about how we do something and one insult about how we do the very same action and only think about the insult and forget that 100 people appreciated us! A friend of mine helps run a moving company, and they receive Google reviews all the time. Most of them are very good! They have thousands of great reviews! But not too long ago they received a poor review (that was hardly even true to the situation) that became one of the top comments on the Google review form! As a society we focus on the negative. It is hard not to be the fool, as the Proverbs describe it, when it comes to being able to take an insult. To be able to overlook is something that we all must try and do correctly. Remember what God has for you and not just what people think of you. Do not be quick to anger and feel this need to always defend yourself or be annoyed at how people respond to you. Act with grace with others! Do what God has called you to do in his word! Remember that Christ died even for those who insult you and they are people that He loves! God is good! Praise Him for his wisdom that He reveals to us in His Word!