Touch me not!
Reading: Isaiah 50:4-7
“Love is patient ... It is not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs ...” (1 Cor 13:4-7)
“Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to Him and asked, Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me” (Lk 10:40). Martha was not shouting from the kitchen. She walked over to where Jesus was teaching Mary who was sitting at His feet and dashed. If I had been in Mary’s place, I would have told Jesus, “Master, just ignore her. She is always like this,” and would have rejoiced within that I had given my sister a nice nose-cut. But Mary was now absorbing the words of Jesus like a sponge. She let Jesus speak for her. She refused to take offense. Because of Mary’s maturity their relationship survived.
Every day we go through such experience, receiving offense at the hand of someone or other. How do we take it? “Offenses must come” (Mt 18:7). The immature keep offending all the time. They speak words of insult or irritation and hurt us. Job’s wife was one such. She wanted her husband to die and used pin-prick words to express it. “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die” (Job 2:9). But we know how maturely Job handled her. So their marriage survived.
“A person's wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense” (Prov 19:11). When offenses come, we must look at the offender as an immature person and learn to take it easy. What happens when we allow ourselves to be offended? “A brother offended is more unyielding than a fortified city” (Prov 18:19). We build a wall around us and protect us from any further hurt. “It is better to keep myself away from this person. She doesn’t know how to talk or behave,” is our attitude. So what happens? The relationship breaks.
Relationship means vulnerability. It is prepared to let others hurt. It is mature enough to say, “That person is so immature. I must pray for her spiritual growth. I should not really get offended. She doesn’t know what she is doing.” That is maturity.
Let us not behave like school children. It is time we become graduates. “When they hurled their insults at Jesus, He did not retaliate” (1 Pet 2:23).When someone makes a disagreeable remark, a smile can help you turn the other cheek.
Dr. Lilian Stanley
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91 9843511943
lilianstanley@gmail.com
Blessing Youth Mission
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91-416-2242943, +91-416-2248943
hq@bymonline.org
www.bymonline.org
Click here for more options
To buy books written by Dr. Lilian Stanley, kindly reach to us in the follwing address
Blessing Literature Centre
21/11 West Coovam River Road,
Chintadripet,
Chennai 600 002, India.
+91-44-28450411, 8806270699
blc@bymonline.org
Touch me not!
Reading: Isaiah 50:4-7
“Love is patient ... It is not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs ...” (1 Cor 13:4-7)
“Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to Him and asked, Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me” (Lk 10:40). Martha was not shouting from the kitchen. She walked over to where Jesus was teaching Mary who was sitting at His feet and dashed. If I had been in Mary’s place, I would have told Jesus, “Master, just ignore her. She is always like this,” and would have rejoiced within that I had given my sister a nice nose-cut. But Mary was now absorbing the words of Jesus like a sponge. She let Jesus speak for her. She refused to take offense. Because of Mary’s maturity their relationship survived.
Every day we go through such experience, receiving offense at the hand of someone or other. How do we take it? “Offenses must come” (Mt 18:7). The immature keep offending all the time. They speak words of insult or irritation and hurt us. Job’s wife was one such. She wanted her husband to die and used pin-prick words to express it. “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die” (Job 2:9). But we know how maturely Job handled her. So their marriage survived.
“A person's wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense” (Prov 19:11). When offenses come, we must look at the offender as an immature person and learn to take it easy. What happens when we allow ourselves to be offended? “A brother offended is more unyielding than a fortified city” (Prov 18:19). We build a wall around us and protect us from any further hurt. “It is better to keep myself away from this person. She doesn’t know how to talk or behave,” is our attitude. So what happens? The relationship breaks.
Relationship means vulnerability. It is prepared to let others hurt. It is mature enough to say, “That person is so immature. I must pray for her spiritual growth. I should not really get offended. She doesn’t know what she is doing.” That is maturity.
Let us not behave like school children. It is time we become graduates. “When they hurled their insults at Jesus, He did not retaliate” (1 Pet 2:23).When someone makes a disagreeable remark, a smile can help you turn the other cheek.
Dr. Lilian Stanley
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91 9843511943
lilianstanley@gmail.com
Blessing Youth Mission
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91-416-2242943, +91-416-2248943
hq@bymonline.org
www.bymonline.org
Click here for more options
To buy books written by Dr. Lilian Stanley, kindly reach to us in the follwing address
Blessing Literature Centre
21/11 West Coovam River Road,
Chintadripet,
Chennai 600 002, India.
+91-44-28450411, Mob:8806270699
blc@bymonline.org
