Brenda Walsh Ministries
Refuse to Be Offended.

When someone is mean to you, it is human nature to want to retaliate, make them pay, or get even. But stooping to their level of meanness won’t make you feel better, nor will it change their behavior! The old expression, “Revenge is sweet,” simply is not true. It just fills your heart with evil. Look at the example Christ set when He was here on earth. He was judged, spied on, and gossiped and lied about, but He took it all in loving silence. Not once did he seek revenge or retaliation. He returned good for evil and was kind to those who mistreated Him. That’s what God wants us to do as well. When people ignore you, are rude or mean–refuse to be offended. Their bad actions don’t define you or say anything about you. Instead, their own character defects are revealed. How you respond to hate reveals your emotional and spiritual maturity. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 12:16, “A fool’s displeasure is known at once, but whoever ignores an insult is sensible.” Show respect to people who don’t deserve it; not as a reflection of their character, but as a reflection of yours. Remember, you can’t change what others say or think about you. All you can do is change how you react to it, so be an imitator of Christ and refuse to be offended. Text: Matthew 5:38-39, Proverbs 20:22, 1 Thessalonians 5:15, 1 Peter 3:8-10