It seems recently everywhere I turn, the opportunity arises that I have to make a choice on how to respond to someone. This is a lesson the Lord taught me the hard way a while back, which means He's going to hold me accountable for this one. I KNOW what the correct response is when someone speaks harshly or unkindly to me, or treats me opposite of the golden rule directly or indirectly.
I also know what my flesh cries out to do: retaliate with words of my own or defend myself or my actions! But as my Pastor reminded me this morning: I can be filled with the Spirit or I can be filled with my stinky flesh - well, he didn't say stinky flesh - but that's exactly what it is when I need to be right or I need to get the last word.
But that is the direct opposite of what Jesus expects of me....in Luke 6 Jesus said to "love our enemies, bless those who curse us, and to pray for those who mistreat us." Then in Romans 12, Paul reminds us to "bless those who persecute us and bless and do not curse."
If you have ever been the direct recipient of someone cursing you, it is excruciating, frustrating, and certainly a source of anger. I know the normal human reaction to such treatment is BLESS someone OUT instead of just blessing them. Don't you know that is where that phrase of "blessing someone out" had to originate?
But instead, Jesus commands me to love and bless. Sigh. To be honest with you, when I first started practicing this I had to say, "Ok Lord, as an act of my will and because You commanded me, NOT because I WANT to, I bless "___________." And you know what? After a dozen or so times of this exercise, it got a little easier...kinda like when I exercised my physical muscles, they got stronger. Well, my blessing muscles got a little stronger too. As my blessing muscles got stronger, it got easier and easier. Not only did it get easier, but I started seeing a change in the mean person. That could ONLY be a God response to bending my will to His.
I'm not to the point where it is total instinct to respond this way to a mean person, but this exercise does quickly comes to mind. I have also been able to share it with my children when they run across mean people in their paths. Blessing instead of blessing out? Who would have ever thought the power that existed in just a simple blessing over someone?
So, if you find yourself in a situation with a co-worker, neighbor, friend, or family member where you just feel persecuted and treated unfairly, love them and bless them instead of what would be a normal response, and watch God do something amazing in your blessing muscle and in their reaction back to you!
