What’s up everyone!! This week has been challenging me in a major way. Finals are over, praise God. But God has been kicking my butt in the area of having tough skin. It’s not easy turning the other cheek, especially when people do you wrong, but Jesus says that this is the best way to handle things, to handle situations with courage and strength. Scripture tells us, “If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also” (Matthew 5:39). This is so strong because Jesus is encouraging us to take the high road and to really love people like He loves us (John 13:34).
In life, it is really hard not to lash out at people when they do you wrong. I’m honestly guilty of doing that myself. It’s so easy to give to people what we are given. I’m not saying that is a bad thing to do, nor am I saying that we should just let people say and do whatever they want and just take it. I am saying that, having the power of Jesus inside of us, we handle ourselves with dignity. We hold people accountable with what they say. We don’t cause drama, but we will stand up for ourselves in an appropriate manner with grace and strength.
What does that look like though? To handle ourselves with strength? That is a great question. A perfect example is with David. We all know the story of David and Goliath, but if we take a deeper look into the story, we can learn so much. The main point of the reference is that Goliath was talking terribly about God and about David’s people. David had enough of it, and took down the giant. He defended his people and his God. We need to be people who will stand up for those that can’t stand up for themselves. We can’t just shrink back and “show grace”. We can not just excuse reckless behavior. Showing people Jesus means showing them the power of their words, and how they can build up and tear down.
We also need to have tough skin when it comes to what we receive. I know for me personally, I’m learning a huge lesson that not everything someone says needs or deserves a response. That sometimes it is okay to let people say what they want, and for me to move on with my life. Not everyone means good to us, and so we need to weed out the needed from the unnecessary. Not every fight is ours to fight. It is okay to give situations to God, and let Him fight on our behalf. It helps us to increase our dependence on Christ, and less on how we can get back at people who hurt us.
Finally, scripture tells us that we should live in peace with everyone (Romans 12:18). Peace looks different based on the situation, but ultimately, we need to seek the Lord on how we should handle such situations. The end goal is that we glorify God with our lives and how we handle situations in a mature way, and how we can show the world Jesus even in the midst of trying circumstances. Let us walk in peace with others and grow in our faith.
Much Love,
Ryan W.
