Let's just take a minute to be honest with ourselves. People annoy us. I am sure there are multiple instances we can remember where someone just bugged us. Is it possible that we have been a little too sensitive, probably. But regardless they still got on our nerves.
I am sure we can all remember a time when someone close to us we trusted, did something that hurt us or even just treated us badly. We have all had bad experiences with people whether they were minor experiences or something that truly hurt us and changed the course of our relationship with that person.
It can be hard to choose kindness. Sometimes we just want to give people what we feel like they deserve. Even if we feel justified in our response and behavior towards another person, we have to remember that is not who we were made to be.
As children of God it is our job to show others love and kindness even when they don't show us the same. Just as Jesus loved and showed kindness to those who persecuted him. We need to do good and show love to everyone even when they hurt us. We can't allow other people's behavior to change who we are. We only answer for our actions. The way someone else treats us will not justify our negative response. You need to feel good about your behavior and how you chose to be a representative of Christ.
Prayer:
Lord help our love for others to be stronger than our emotions. Help us to practice self-control when interacting with others. Give us the strength we need to control our tongue and choose love when we want to choose revenge. Help us to be more like you. Fill us with your love so that we can overflow it to others, in Jesus name we pray Amen.
Verse:
See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. 1 Thessalonians 5:15 NLT
