You know – you can’t please everyone. No matter what you do, there are going to be some folks that don’t like you. It’s sad, but true. So what do you do when you run into one of “those” people? Do you ignore them? Do you go out of your way to “heap coals of fire on their head?” Solomon said, “If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.” (Proverbs 25:22) How do you expect them to treat you? You want respect, right?
I believe that you should show respect to people, even if they don’t deserve it – not necessarily as a reflection of their character, but as a reflection of yours. You are the only one who can control your actions and your reactions to how others treat you. Just because you are a character – doesn’t mean that you have character. As Christians, we should “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” (Luke 6:31) Even if others don’t treat you “right,” that doesn’t mean that you should return in kind. If you want to be understood, you must be understanding. If you want your views to be respected, then, you need to respect other’s points of view. If you want to be forgiven, then, you must also be willing to forgive others. Harboring ill feelings towards someone else doesn’t necessarily hurt that person – they might not even be aware that there is an issue. But, it can destroy you.
Hurting back people who hurt you, makes you just like them. May we imitate Christ, who on the cross prayed, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) God Bless, Courtney